Performance of the Month: Michael Shannon in "Take Shelter" (2011)

Michael Shannon gives a criminally neglected performance in the frightening, yet moving "Take Shelter"

Having taken a hiatus from writing for the month of February, what with preparing for the annual Oscar bloodbath and the details of daily life, I've been compelled to post again after watching a little movie called "Take Shelter" last night.

I'd heard of it, in passing, during award season and in the litter of films released last year that featured Jessica Chastain, but it wasn't until the Independent Spirit Awards last weekend that I really became aware of how intriguing the film looked.  And, in fact, while watching the Indie Spirits, every time they showed a clip from "Take Shelter", I found myself saying "I have got to see that movie!"

Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, whom I'd honestly never heard of until now, I don't want to spoil any of the twists of the plot by merely rehashing the details of the story.  Instead, I want to focus on what was one of the truly great film performances given last year (one that, naturally, earned no Academy love), by Michael Shannon as a man named Curtis.  Curtis works in some type of construction or drilling job; I don't know specifically which it was, but it isn't really important.  He's a hard worker, devoted to his wife Samantha (Chastain), and their young hearing-impaired daughter.

Now, Michael Shannon just naturally has an intense look, which would make the most mild-mannered character he plays seem suspect, and he was very memorable as the disturbed neighbor in 2008's "Revolutionary Road" (for which he did earn a Supporting Actor nomination).  But Curtis appears to just barely have a lid on things as the film opens.  We know that these waters may be still for the moment, but they are very deep indeed.  For one thing, Curtis has nightmares.  He dreams of storms: violent, malevolent, disastrous storms.  He also appears to hallucinate being attacked by his own dog, his co-worker, and his wife.  Curtis, being an intelligent man, and knowing that some unpleasant issues are possibly embedded in his DNA, tries to deal with the problem by seeking medical help.  But the help is too little, and his obsession with refinishing an old storm shelter on his property becomes paramount in his mind.

There are so many words one could use to describe Michael Shannon's performance in this film: compelling, frightening, unnerving, and brilliant.  His scenes with Chastain and the young girl who plays their daughter show the unease that exists in the family unit already, a chasm that will grow as Curtis' nightmares and visions continue to get worse.  But as Shannon plays it, in Curtis' mind, he is doing all he can to protect and save his family from what he is sure is coming.  The other family members, friends, and neighbors, who all just assume he's losing his mind bring out a side of Shannon's acting that seems to indicate that he just might believe them himself, if he weren't so sure of his purpose.  A thrilling, dynamic scene at a community fish fry takes on the tone of a tent revival preacher, and this, my friends, is the true key to the success of Shannon's performance and of the movie itself.

I won't reveal any more of the film, which ended perfectly; really, the only way it could have ended, because all I keep thinking about is that intensely sad look of resignation in Curtis' eyes as he accepts his fate.  I can't think of any actor who could've walked the tightrope over the gaping chasm of insanity the way Michael Shannon does in this movie.  More's the pity that he didn't get the recognition he deserved in a year when the supposed 'Best Actor' did little more than arch his eyebrows or mug for the camera for an hour and a half.