Gimme Shelter
CAST
Vanessa Hudgens, James Earl Jones
RATING
PG-13
RELEASE
January 24, 2014
DIRECTOR
Rob Krauss
STUDIO
Roadside Attractions
RUNNING TIME
1 hour 41 minutes
STARS
***
REVIEW:
As the 40 minute mark hits in the movie "Gimme Shelter," I was wondering exactly WHEN this movie was actually going to be somewhat happy and not as mean spirited as it was. I get that the events in this movie were based on a true story, but that's beside the point. There were so many points during the first half of the film where I was so close to turning it off, but I decided to keep going on. The one thing that was getting me through the film was Vanessa Hudgens' unrecognizable look and her raw/emotional performance, which truly is a standout here. As for the entire film, though, it wasn't particularly sucking me in the way I wanted to. And then, James Earl Jones pops into the picture and from there comes a sweet, real, and touching drama that I'm glad I got the chance to see.
The film isn't perfect though, for it's filled with forced emotion, lots of melodrama at times, and a pretty horrendous performance from Rosario Dawson. There are over the top performances in films, and then there's the performance Dawson gave here. While the filmmakers succeeded in making her disgusting and ugly, it felt like Dawson was trying too hard to pull of a performance like Monique's in "Precious." Putting that aside, "Gimme Shelter" at its core has a good heart and is a decent watch for those who are looking for an inspiration movie to see.
Vanessa Hudgens, apart from all of the yelling she does throughout the first half of the movie, gives the best performance of her career thus far, which makes me hope that she chooses more roles like this that allow her to show off her dramatic side. James Earl Jones and even Brendan Fraser give solid and believable performances that help to move the film along. Overall, "Gimme Shelter" suffers from forced melodrama and Rosario Dawson's wildly annoying performance. However, it's saved by Vanessa Hudgens' beautiful role and the film's overall inspirational and feel-good essence. For that, I'd recommend this one for a nice Friday night watch.
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