TAKING SHELTER

Mental illness can strike anyone, anywhere – even when you’re regular guy in Anytown, USA. That seems to be the message of Taking Shelter, Jeff Nichols’ new psychological thriller. Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon) is a construction worker in a small Ohio town who seems to have an average middle America life with loving wife Samantha (Jessica Chastain) and six-year-old daughter Hannah (Tova Stewart). But Curtis is ridden by anxiety that manifests itself in terrifying dreams and a constant fear that a huge storm is coming. His mental state unravels, his actions become more irrational and the stakes grow higher for his family. Just like the storm in Curtis’s dreams, there is a constant feel of impending doom throughout the film that never leaves you at ease. But don’t expect a rollercoaster ride – this picture is slow, ponderous and requires a lot of patience. (MG) ***