Shelter

source: Shelter

I liked this movie, but for the most part, I hated it. Why? Well, first of all I've been homeless myself (in a very similar situation as Hannah, actually), but I managed to fare much better than her. I am not bragging, I just couldn't understand some of the choices she has made during the course of the movie. First of all, there is more than one food pantry in NYC, plus she and Tahir made some OK money busking and panhandling, but she chooses to steal produce. Fine, stuff happens so to say, but then they squat at this ultra rich house, use the wine, the water, put on the owners' clothes and hang out for quite awhile (long enough for Hannah to kick her heroin habit!) and yet they never consider taking just a couple of the gold chains or some other small valuables, sell them and actually get a little place of their own, or a car? And don't give me the "morals" crap, because a) they were not above stealing per se, and b) this was a RICH household, a couple small items wouldn't have made any difference to them. Then Tahir and Hannah choose to bum around (no pun intended) the NYC all fall and winter, acquiring no useful possessions (not even a pair of warm sleeping bags?), finding no jobs or gigs, and staying at the mercy of shelters. They also never consider getting married, even though that would've given Tahir more rights in the USA. They also don't even discuss traveling elsewhere, perhaps down south, for example, for the winter. Then when Tahir gets sick, Hannah tries halfheartedly to get money for his meds from her father, and when he rightfully refuses to believe her, that's the end of the conversation. She could've have him contact the pharmacy or the hospital and see for himself, or take him up on the offer of taking the next flight down to NYC, especially now that she was clean and had nothing to hide- but she didn't. Instead she got money from the security guard for some demeaning sex. Perhaps she was desperate- but even after getting the meds, she turned to the same source for more money- for two train tickets out west! Why couldn't she call her father then and have him come pick them up? As a result of all these dubious choices, Tahir dies, and Hannah is lonely and heartbroken once again (but clean, except for how long this time? Who knows.) Yes, I did feel sad at the end, but the more I analyzed the film, the angrier I got. These people made their (cardboard) bed, now they better lie in it and not complain. Or else shut up and try harder. Like I said, I used to be homeless, but I made it through, together with my boyfriend. It is possible, and without unnecessary sacrifices!

It was an interesting tale, I thought the main characters were well written and the plot had a lot to keep me gripped and wanting to see what happens next. It was a touching tale and I would recommend this to anyone , although it did have a couple of curious effusive grotesque moments. I thought it was very interesting.

I'm sorry but Mackie and Connor have absolutely no chemistry in this movie and for what it's supposed to be - an expose on homelessness and human redemption - it turns out to be a rushed loved story set against a depressing back drop of homelessness in New York. If that sounds interesting to you then watch it - otherwise just watch a documentary on homelessness.

I decided to sit down and watch "Shelter" solely because I noticed that Jennifer Connelly was in it, and I had no idea what the movie was about and had not heard about it prior to finding it on Netflix. The story was a rather beautiful and heartfelt story, albeit a somewhat predictable one for sure. What made the movie work was the acting performances by both Anthony Mackie and Jennifer Connelly. Man, was I impressed with the performance that Jennifer Connelly put on in this movie, and I dare say that this was actually one of her best performances in a long time easily matching the performance of "Requiem for a Dream". "Shelter" is definitely well worth taking the time and effort to sit down and watch. And I will say that it actually does shed some light onto a world that I assume most of us just walk straight past without even throwing a second glance. So a big thumbs up to director and writer Paul Bettany for his achievement with this movie. If you haven't already seen "Shelter", then I can only strongly recommend that you take the time to do so, if you have the chance. Because this is definitely a movie that will stick with you.

SHELTER is a masterpiece of realism, love and forgiveness that will come into its own as it ages. The two lovers, Hanna and Tahir, are bound together by loss and tragedy as they struggle to rise above themselves and their wounds in an uncaring world. Played on at his weakest moment, illegal immigrant Tahir (Anthony Mackie) falls into bottomless guilt for once being a member of the radical Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram in Nigeria. With painful obsession he prays for redemption for his participation in burning down schools, hospitals and for the unspeakable, brutal murders of thousands of innocent people including women and children. Jennifer Connelly (Hannah) makes her acting comeback with a splash as she navigates her own depression and suicidal attempt while grieving the death of her surgeon husband whose plane was shot down at the hands of a similar terrorist group. It becomes evident that Hannah must forgive Tahir and his evil past in order to escape the NYC streets. Hannah is redeemed by her luminous, loving humanity and indestructible bravado, but she has earned it by surviving on the streets. Unfortunately the anguished Tahir is forced to finally accept that he is damaged beyond his ability to redeem his violent past when he once again resorts to his most primitive expression of mindless violence and in the end decides the only way for him to find ultimate redemption is to be reunited with his maker and the pure innocence of his young murdered son (at the hands of Nigerian terrorists). SHELTER concerns itself with what's happening in our world today as ISIS invades our own country. Can you forgive the Godless, senseless violence of the terrorists that have taken away your loved one without embracing them as Tahinr did? Bottom line is that you have to 'let it go' or you will be consumed by your own personal mix of hate, revenge and finally guilt. That is if you actually are a decent, sane person.

This is the story of two NYC homeless people. Tahir (Anthony Mackie) is from an African Nation that politically correct word checks don't allow. He has overstayed his VISA, but they won't ship him back. He is living on the streets playing plastic buckets as drums for donations. He espies Hanna (Jennifer Connelly) another homeless person with a heroin addiction. They do well apart, and their troubles begin when these two people worlds apart come together and try to live as a couple with semi-deep theological discussions. The film shows a little bit about the shelter system, but not enough to be an exposé, just a sad drama. The film is well done and acted, although it does jump a couple of times. For those that like sad slow moving realistic dramas to make their life feel better, this is the one. Guide: F-bomb, implied sex, brief nudity.

I hate writing reviews because if a movie is good enough to merit the effort it often seems like any attempt to describe it is destined to fall short. That said, as a one time social worker who has experienced up-close the miseries of those without home and hope I found this a remarkably accurate portrayal of the lives that can result. Having forgone the usual formulaic pap the author does an excellent job or recreating the "feel" of having no place to lay your head at night as well as the constant tension of never knowing who or what you can trust. The usual simplistic Hollywood garbage is happily absent and one finds oneself immersed in a world of bewildering complications and contradiction. Making it through each day becomes the goal and winning means little more than living to suffer another day. Such are the lives of far too many in America and elsewhere. Happily many of the "bad" guys are shown as victims themselves of a broken system rather than the arch villains of yore. Some try their best to accommodate, others try their best to take advantage of the person's vulnerability. You can't help but sympathize with the former and hate the later. While I can't even imagine trying to play the role of the two lead characters both did an excellent job and gained and held my sympathy from beginning to end. Jobs well done! And I can only guess at what cost. Camera work was excellent throughout with some of the dream like sequences outstanding. All in all a wonderful film and one I heartily will recommend to friends.

Avengers reunited! Anthony Mackie stars and Paul Bettany writes and directs – but this low-budget, lowdown indie couldn't be further from the world-saving antics of Falcon and Vision. It actually premiered in 2014, and has since been dismissed by many critics. Sure, it's overwrought. But despite some flaws this is a thought-provoking drama with little preaching. It's a story from the bottom rung of Maslow's Hierarchy. Mackie plays Nigerian immigrant Tahir, homeless in New York, whom we meet repenting for a terrible crime from his past. When his stuff is stolen he notices that Hannah (Jennifer Connolly) is wearing his jacket. He follows her. They meet. They love. Sounds simple because it is. It's a love story that happens to involve two people sleeping rough. It's episodic in structure because every day is an episode of pain, but it essentially follows the model of the classical Hollywood romance. Yet it does so largely without sugar-coating its characters' suffering. The film is utterly driven by these two main characters. Every scene is from one of their perspectives. And they carry it brilliantly. We've known Connolly is capable of this quality for some time, but it still comes as a surprise to see her emaciated frame so brutally possessed and conflicted. Mackie, meanwhile, is the revelation. He's a ubiquitous presence on our screens – forever a stable buddy character – but I've never seen him so soulful, so internal. Does it veer toward beautifully art-directed misery theatre at times? Yes it does. Occasionally it seems conspicuously designed to challenge expectations, more than coming across as a reflection of real life. But I figured that was the point: to find romance in desperation, like the lovers themselves. Also, there's the occasional clunky dialogue: "Never judge a book by its cover," Hannah tells one ignoramus. Notably, the "System" is not demonised. When Tahir is discharged from hospital into the winter cold, Hannah asks the doctor if Tahir can stay – but she's asking the impossible. Moments like this highlight the hurdles of a universal welfare structure that cannot bend to individual circumstances. As a test of empathy, Shelter makes you work hard. He's a mass-murdering African Muslim; she's a war widow who left her child to beg for heroin money. However bleak that sounds, the search for goodness is a consistent theme. We are the sum of all our deeds, not just our worst. Tahir and Hannah talk of God and death and cognitive dissonance like regular smart people. And they look out for each other in a way most regular people don't look out for them. Shelter is worth seeking out. It's a tough, harrowing watch, but far from a thankless or hopeless one.