Image Credit: Black Bear Pictures
Few elements, but all in the right place. Nothing essential, of course, but Ric Roman Waugh‘s Shelter has a formula that is capable—strange but true—of convincing, without chasing an originality that cannot belong to it.
An action thriller that, on several occasions, is not afraid to show a certain dramatic streak, focusing on emotion rather than adrenaline, almost stylized and stripped down to the bone (very appreciable, but this could be a problem for those looking for action tout court). Undeniably and blatantly derivative, the film written by Ward Parry brings together – with verve and without frenzy – different feelings without losing sight of its main muscle: Jason Statham.
The Plot of The Shelter: On the Run with Jason Statham
In The Shelter, the quintessential modern action hero plays Michael Mason. Who is he? A taciturn man who has retired to a small island—complete with an evocative lighthouse—off the coast of Scotland. He drinks, draws, and lives in total solitude, together with a nameless dog (spoiler: unfortunately, he will die valiantly in battle). In some ways, they form a family. Every week, for years, he has received supplies from Jessie (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), who is intrigued by this gruff and shy man.
One day, after delivering supplies, Jessie and her uncle are caught in a storm: her uncle drowns, and Jessie ends up in the water. Michael saves her and takes her into his home. The girl has a nasty wound on her foot and needs treatment. The gruff Mason has no choice but to return to town to get the necessary medicine. However, this costs him dearly: we discover that the man is a former agent of the Black Kites, a special British government team, and is wanted on charges of treason (in truth, he disobeyed orders by refusing to kill an innocent person). Caught by illegal facial recognition software, he must flee, defending young Jessie. Whatever the cost.
An action film that aims for emotion: there’s no shortage of tears
Shelter, without complicating anything, highlights the unchanging and expressionless charisma of Jason Statham, who returns to play the classic man “who just wanted to be left alone,” then forced—both by fate and morality—to return to action. There is then the legacy of The Beekeeper and A Working Man, a direct consequence of one of the founding titles: Léon. After a highly intense first half hour (the best), Ric Roman Waugh steers the film towards thriller territory, emphasizing an intellectual honesty—at times overly serious—that races forward, following a straight and linear path. This is enough to generate a good level of entertainment, net of some misplaced dialogue.
The real surprise is the chemistry between Statham and his young co-star, Bodhi Rae Breathnach. Their relationship manages to break through a certain stiffness, adding emotion to a narrative that is otherwise focused on action. Incidentally, titles such as Shelter are similar to a certain genre that emerged in the 1980s and then exploded in the 1990s thanks to video rentals. In this case, Statham inherits the weight of his predecessors (from Jean-Claude Van Damme to Steve Segal, to the unattainable greatness of Bruce Willis or Stallone), becoming one with the genre. But if the world evolves—fortunately—genres evolve too, and this time, between one punch and another, there’s even a tear or two.
Conclusions
As we said, Shelter is not just about action. Going beyond a certain seriousness, which tends to weigh down—and spoil—the best part of Ric Roman Waugh’s film, is the unexpected dramatic streak, which focuses on the emotionality and chemistry between Jason Statham and Bodhi Rae Breathnach. Incidentally, Shelter is yet another demonstration of how Statham has become a genre unto himself.
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