Pick of the week: “Take Shelter,” a potent fable of marriage and madness

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:01:00 +0000

An intense psychological thriller that builds toward an explosive conclusion, indie writer-director Jeff Nichols' "Take Shelter" may be the most powerful American film I've seen this year. Having said that, I want to manage expectations a little bit. One can argue, and I will, that "Take Shelter" is a terrifically crafted little movie that bounces off current events and the nation's downbeat mood ingeniously, and that it variously suggests comparisons with the early work of Terrence Malick, Stanley Kubrick and the Coen brothers. Yeah, I think it's that good, but please note that I also said "little." This is a modestly scaled, character-based drama, shot quickly on a low budget in heartland locations. So don't go expecting big-screen spectacle, and don't complain to me about the limited production values or the imperfect CGI effects (although both are actually fine). I should add that I saw this movie while soaking wet, after walking through the residue of a recent tropical storm, and that given its obsessive depiction of extreme weather, that definitely heightened the firepower.

Jessica Chastain: The dazzling redhead who's suddenly everywhere

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:28:00 +0000

Jessica Chastain may not yet qualify as a movie star, but within seconds of meeting her you completely understand why every casting agent in Hollywood is convinced she will become one. To put it bluntly, she is dazzling -- and I'm talking more about her manner and presence than her beauty, although she's exceptionally pretty, with flaming red hair and pale, translucent skin. She's vivacious and charming, seemingly without effort, and has the kind of spectacular smile that uplifts everyone's spirits within a 50-foot radius.

It makes you wonder where all those casting directors and filmmakers who so desperately want Chastain in their movies now were a few years ago, when she was a little-known television actress whose biggest part had been a four-episode role on "Law & Order: Trial by Jury." There are no answers beyond the usual clichés: Showbiz is full of pretty faces, and sometimes all it takes is one little break. Chastain's break was pretty big, and came when Terrence Malick cast her opposite Brad Pitt in "The Tree of Life," where her shimmering, ethereal presence created a thematic and visual balance to Pitt's intense, compulsive, authoritarian father-figure.

Salon.com > Take Shelter

Pick of the week: “Take Shelter,” a potent fable of marriage and madness

Jessica Chastain: The dazzling redhead who's suddenly everywhere