Take Shelter (2011)

First rate, there's no doubt. Watching Take Shelter is like entering a Wyeth painting. It's easy to see how carefully Nichols concocts his films but I just can't shake my negative-to-not-so-sure feelings on the ending. Pacing, acting, and concept are definite strengths.

This is a really good movie. Not a lot of action involved but the story and the acting was great.

Love the brooding air of unease that runs through this film conveyed so effectively by Micheal Shannon. This guy is a really special actor and I think we're going to be hearing a lot about him in the future. Great, subtle film-making.

Beautiful, haunting, edge-of-your-seat enough without being scary. Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon are so wonderful together in this film. New director to watch!

As soon as it was over I wanted to watch it again. Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain were mesmerizing to watch and the simple, straightforward direction was hauntingly effective. Truly the dark horse of 2011.

Michael Shannon is amazing and the atmosphere and moods are consistent and unsettling throughout.

One of the best movies of the year for me. I really dig the stripped down, no frills style of Jeff Nichol's movies (see "Shotgun Stories") - which makes their effectiveness in creating dense and suffocating moods so impressive.