Shelter (2015)
Homelessness is a phenomenon across the globe that filmmakers have never really tried to capture honestly on screen. Despite little documentaries and tragic stories of mental illness leading to homelessness, there are far too many depictions of “crazy homeless men or women” in our mainstream telling. At the heart of those living on the streets, are these actual human beings and their harrowing tales of survival without shelter. Last year, actor Paul Bettany took to directing and writing a story of two people connected by the life they leave without a home. Shelter should be an intricate and powerful look at such tales but instead because this unassuming and cliché heavy melodrama.
Starring Jennifer Connolly and Anthony Mackie, the film revolves around Hannah and Tahir who come from vastly different backgrounds and roots. Despite this, they find themselves in the same place - upon the streets - and Shelter sees them learn from their past and move forward with their future - together, with hope, and with love. With 50,000 people living on the streets of New York alone, Shelter hopes to flesh out the
Let’s start this by saying that Shelter has a heart and it’s attempt to showcase a world that most of us would actively try to ignore is compassionate, playing the right cards and certainly absorbing people into a tale that is merely one rung up from a charity advert. The premise that anyone can fall on hard times is a crucial one that should’ve have been focused on a little bit more, rather than the increasingly irritating wailing of Hannah. This is much a fault of the script than anything - falling into Lifetime tropes and adding more and more elements make it thick with tragedy. Too thick. Impossibly thick. So much sadness and little concentration on the characters at hand causes the film to lose balance with the audience, making it rather dull and lifeless. As Hannah, played well by Connolly (I must add), is the epicentre of fluffy jargon that you’d find shoved in the gobs of soap opera characters and Shelter’s overall narrative feel is cheesy and lacklustre.
Kudos to the noble drama for having good intentions. And there should be some credit thrown to Bettany for attempting to endearing movie about homelessness and he certainly has the makings of a great director (writer, not so much.) His harsh yet honest camera wields this realistic aesthetic that brings to life this aching world to life. Without a doubt, as well, the performances are great that despite the stumbling script, you are invested in their journey together - owing to a rather powerful film (even if it is hidden under the shoddy writing).
What’s important to note that, whatever faults the film has as a narrative and independent drama, Shelter does try to reveal these intricate stories and tangles of love that we skim by in a rush to go somewhere, anywhere. If we took a moment and offered our time and resources to people caught in hard times, then the world would be a better place. Perhaps Shelter could be the film to teach you that.
Shelter is out on DVD & Blu-ray now!