By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
JASON STATHAM HAS NOWHERE TO HIDE IN THE GRIPPING THRILLER "SHELTER"
For me, Jason Statham can do no wrong, and
"Shelter" only reinforces that belief.
His trademark charisma and swagger are firing on all cylinders in this latest actioner from director
Ric Roman Waugh ("Greenland 2: Migration," and "Kandahar"), a filmmaker who understands how to balance muscular spectacle with grounded storytelling.
While there is plenty of action in "Shelter," Waugh wisely takes his time setting the stage. The film opens with a simmering sense of suspense and restrained drama, allowing the characters to breathe before the bullets start flying.
Statham plays Mason, a former Special Forces guy who went rogue and despite gallant efforts of capturing him, his bosses just assumed he died. But Mason has chosen a life of solitude, cooling his heels in a remote lighthouse on a rugged Scottish island. He has everything he needs: isolation, routine, and the companionship of an adorable, loyal, unnamed German Shepherd.
Supplies arrive by boat, captained by an older man and his young niece Jesse (a terrific Bodhi Rae Breathnach, "Hamnet"), whose curiosity soon begins to chip away at Mason's carefully constructed walls.
Drawn to the mystery of the man behind the door, Jesse's innocent persistence slowly reveals that Mason's cold exterior masks a past he's desperate to leave behind. However, Mason makes it clear that he doesn't want to be bothered even when Jesse decides to leave a personal present at his doorstep.
When a brutal storm hits, it capsizes the supply boat, killing Jesse's uncle and leaving her severely injured and desperate for help. Mason comes to her rescue, bringing the pre-teen into the lighthouse and doing his best to patch up her badly banged-up foot. As Jesse begins to ask questions, Mason can’t help but soften, especially when he discovers she can play chess and that his dog has already taken a liking to her, prompting Jesse to name her new furry companion, Jack.
Jesse's uncle is gone, her mother died of cancer, and her father has been missing for years. It's a tough spot for the kid. When her injury fails to improve, Mason makes a risky solo journey to the mainland in search of additional supplies, setting events into motion that threaten the fragile peace he's built.
Although Jesse's best friend Arthur Booth (Daniel Mays, "The Thursday Murder Club") cleverly helped him fake his death and assume a new identity, the past has a way of catching up. Mason is eventually exposed through a high-tech surveillance system overseen by Roberta Frost (Naomi Ackie, "Sorry, Baby," and "Clayface") and a mysterious operative named Steven Manafort (a steely Bill Nighy, TV's "Ride or Die"), who has his own agenda for wanting Mason.
Once they confirm his whereabouts, they go all in and dispatch a boatload of special agents, led by their ruthless enforcer (Bryan Vigier, "The Killer") and surround Mason and Jesse inside the lighthouse. Despite being badly outnumbered, the smart money is always on Mason to fight and shoot his way out of trouble. And does he ever.
Director Ric Roman Waugh piles on the excitement with some killer action sequences, including a dynamic car chase through a forest.
What elevates "Shelter" is the balance between Statham's toughness and a surprisingly tender performance. Watching Mason care for Jesse, protecting her, teaching her, and slowly letting his guard down reveals a softer, more human side.
With "Shelter," Statham proves he can sell both bullets and heart with equal conviction and look mighty fine in the process.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Watch This Trailer For
"SHELTER"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
