Take Shelter

Most romantic movies are fundamentally "how we met" stories. Two people fall for each other, some obstacle arises to keep them apart, then they overcome said obstacle. They kiss, the picture fades to black, and we're to assume that they lived happily ever after.

In reality, falling in love is the easy part. Staying in love is the challenge. Romantic comedies should have a disclaimer at the end: "We're not sure how things end up for these two, but half of marriages end in divorce, and many more are loveless, so it doesn't look great for them."

"Take Shelter" is a movie about a man named Curtis who begins having apocalyptic visions and responds by behaving in increasingly destructive ways. But it's really a movie about marriage. Curtis knows he might be going crazy--his mother is a paranoid schizophrenic--but can he trust his wife when she says things will be fine? Can he seek treatment to preserve their marriage? And can his wife trust that he is doing all he can to keep them together? This movie reaches emotional depths that few can approach. I can't remember the last time a film made me well up like this one.

The ending to "Take Shelter" is deliberately ambiguous. Some have complained about it. But I love the attitude of director Jeff Nichols, who said in an interview, "Some people get it, some people don't. But by God, we're the ones making independent films here. We're the only ones that get to do this." Go see the latest Jennifer Aniston or Reese Witherspoon rom-com if you want another fairy tale. If you want a movie that actually says something about love, see "Take Shelter."