Helter Shelter
http://www.afterhours.ie/articles/166/1/Helter-Shelter/Page1.html
John O'Donnell
By John O'Donnell
Published on 04/9/2010
Review of Shelter starring Julianne Moore
Helter Shelter
Directed by Mans Marlind & Bjorn Stein
RELEASED: 9th April 2010
CERTIFICATE: 16
R/T: 112 MINUTES
Click here for the trailer
Very early in Shelter, Dr Cara Jessup (Julianne Moore) makes it clear that she believes Multiple personality disorders are scams cooked up by ne’erdowells as an excuse to beat various criminal charges. One thing she does believe in is God. She wears a cross around her neck and dresses like a Catholic school girl (in a dowdy way, not a Britney Spears way). Unfortuneatley the death of her husband during a mugging has turned her young daughter into something of an athiest.
Cara’s opinions on multiple personality disorders are important because her testimony as a psycologist has resulted in numerous court cases ending with the death penalty. Her friend Dr Harding wants her to question her professional beliefs and introduces her to Adam (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), who shifts personalities when requested over the telephone.
Cara’s religious opinions are important because as she explores Adam’s disorder, it starts to appear that Adam’s disorder may be more supernatural than scientific. She investigates, and everytime she thinks she’s cracked the case a newer and more mysterious clue presents itself. This flick is mainly scary in a psychological way, but there are one or spooks and bursts of action to keep you from losing interest.
Moore puts in a solid performance. The parts of the script involving her family are very organic and you get a real feel for the character. This locks you in a bit more when the freaky shit starts happening.
Rhys Meyers is decent enough. He has to pull several accents out of the bag and most of them are pretty convincing. One of his personalities is wheelchair bound though, and Jonny Boy seems to have confused being paraplegic with being Rainman. Playing several characters in one body can’t be easy, but somebody should have pulled him to one side and told him less is more.
Shelter is a supernatural thriller so huge leaps of faith are required from the audience. Seeing this movie will require a certain frame of mind. Go in too switched off and you might not keep up with the story. Go in too switched on and you’ll pick up on plot holes and niggly unanswered questions.As George Michael once said: You gotta have faith – and he knows more than anyone about spooky things that hang around in the woods.
RELEASED: 9th April 2010
CERTIFICATE: 16
R/T: 112 MINUTES
Click here for the trailer
Very early in Shelter, Dr Cara Jessup (Julianne Moore) makes it clear that she believes Multiple personality disorders are scams cooked up by ne’erdowells as an excuse to beat various criminal charges. One thing she does believe in is God. She wears a cross around her neck and dresses like a Catholic school girl (in a dowdy way, not a Britney Spears way). Unfortuneatley the death of her husband during a mugging has turned her young daughter into something of an athiest.
Cara’s opinions on multiple personality disorders are important because her testimony as a psycologist has resulted in numerous court cases ending with the death penalty. Her friend Dr Harding wants her to question her professional beliefs and introduces her to Adam (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), who shifts personalities when requested over the telephone.
Cara’s religious opinions are important because as she explores Adam’s disorder, it starts to appear that Adam’s disorder may be more supernatural than scientific. She investigates, and everytime she thinks she’s cracked the case a newer and more mysterious clue presents itself. This flick is mainly scary in a psychological way, but there are one or spooks and bursts of action to keep you from losing interest.
Moore puts in a solid performance. The parts of the script involving her family are very organic and you get a real feel for the character. This locks you in a bit more when the freaky shit starts happening.
Rhys Meyers is decent enough. He has to pull several accents out of the bag and most of them are pretty convincing. One of his personalities is wheelchair bound though, and Jonny Boy seems to have confused being paraplegic with being Rainman. Playing several characters in one body can’t be easy, but somebody should have pulled him to one side and told him less is more.
Shelter is a supernatural thriller so huge leaps of faith are required from the audience. Seeing this movie will require a certain frame of mind. Go in too switched off and you might not keep up with the story. Go in too switched on and you’ll pick up on plot holes and niggly unanswered questions.As George Michael once said: You gotta have faith – and he knows more than anyone about spooky things that hang around in the woods.