Take Shelter

The economic crisis of 2008 serves as the nasty underbelly of this compelling beast of a dramatic thriller directed by Iranian-American filmmaker, and Winston-Salem native, Ramin Bahrani (“Man Push Cart”). His latest morality tale stars Andrew Garfield (“The Social Network”) as Dennis Nash, a Florida construction worker and single father whose home falls under foreclosure. Nash and his family, consisting of his son Connor (Noah Lomax) and mother Lynn (Laura Dern), are thrown out of their home almost immediately after his court date by steely real-estate broker Rick Carver (Michael Shannon of HBOs “Boardwalk Empire”) and his gaggle of police escorts.

It’s at this point that “99 Homes” slips it’s potent hook into the viewer with a visceral immediacy as Carver and the police invade the Nash home watching Dennis scramble to gather what belongings he can within a few minutes notice. Shot mostly in one take the sequence builds incredible tension and places the viewer squarely in Nash’s shoes as a man literally pulled out of a home with little to no means of finance. He moves his family into a nearby motel for the time being and makes a number of calls to gain construction jobs which have slowed. Ironically enough, Nash is soon recruited by Carver on a construction job which leads to another and then Carver decides to take Nash under his wing as more of a realtoring personal assistant which becomes lucrative rather quickly.

Although seemingly a bit “Wall Street” within the confines of the mentor/protege arrangement that develops between Nash and Carver the film does succeed in making both characters identifiable people and neither complete hero or villain. Nash is very much a decent working-class everyman with no other agenda than to get money in the bank to provide for family while Carver is made out to be an aggressive opportunist who has found a way to game the financial system that once gamed him. And it doesn’t hurt that both Garfield and Shannon provide considerable shades of humanity in their respective roles.

The former Spiderman actor seems to relish the opportunity to play a more nuanced and mundane earthbound spirit who is hit with various ethical dilemmas at every turn. He imbues the scrappy Nash with a quiet integrity that becomes more and more at odds with the relationship he’s built with Carver to gain the money he needs to get his home back. And Garfield also brings a sharp emotional immediacy to the scenes where he’s sent to evict tenants himself (some of which seem to be non actors that only add to the films almost documentary style tone and dramatic rawness).

Yet as good as Garfield is as Nash, it’s Shannon’s performance that stings more and ultimately has the most impact. After playing the likes of hitman Richard “Iceman” Kuklinski and General Zod it’s no longer a surprise that Michael Shannon can play menacing in his sleep but it’s the way his character has become so accustomed to his entitlement that becomes most dynamic. Sporting various cream colored Tommy Bahama style suits and vaping away on E-Cigs, Carver has become a cultivated wolf in sheeps clothing. His no-nonsense business demeanor seduces Nash along with the trappings of a lavish lifestyle earned by tireless strategy. And Carver’s lack of compassion for people is boldly played by Shannon with striking moments of wry humor at others expense. One scene in particular stands out when Carver reveals a rare moment of his personal history as Nash asks for his house back. Flickers of backstory culminate into a fierce monologue shedding light onto how this shameless monster could have once been a decent man whose survivalist instincts eventually trumped his moral compass. The sheer power and honesty of the scene and how Shannon plays it consists of the best screen acting I’ve seen in a film this year.

As engrossing as “99 Homes” is during the first two thirds it does become problematic towards the end coming to an almost abrupt halt that seems a bit too convenient for a film that revels in such gritty authenticity. Needless to say conscience and business collide and good subdues evil, if only for a time. But Shannon’s compelling fire and the eviction scenes of various American citizens of varied creed and gender will continue to seep into the memory long after the tale comes to a convenient close. It’s a movie whose power lingers and for Bahrani and company that’s the point.