An ominous disaster forces five survivors to wait out nuclear winter in a secret underground bomb shelter. With limited supplies and nowhere else to go, they struggle against the clock, uncertain if they'll survive until it's safe to return to the surface. As weeks turn into months, one room proves too small for five people. Habits curdle into routine, relationships dissolve, obsessions give way to madness.
Mr. Bettany's sketchy, unconvincing screenplay is more interested in Ms. Connelly's execution of exploitative stunts than in seriously examining the social crisis it purports to lament.
Both actors bring confused dignity and downright anguish to their roles, and if Bettany eventually begins piling the woes on a bit heavy, they make you believe that as dark as things get, they're still more than possible.
Paul Bettany makes a strong impression with his first film as a writer-director, exploring the big issue of homelessness from a variety of pointed angles.
Some people will find it too emotionally wrenching to watch, but there are moments of raw, understated sensitivity, encapsulating the ache of regret at the heart of Shelter.
While there are flashes of impressive direction - especially in his use of location - Bettany's woefully underwritten script almost immediately dogs Shelter down.
Despite its terrific performances and its great use of locations, Shelter doesn't have enough substance to hold your attention or linger in the mind for long.
Shelter feels like an act of penance for all involved, and Connelly's powerful performance perfectly captures the anguish of a woman rendered all but invisible by poverty.
What started as an engaging character study falls apart when the cards that Tahir and Hannah are dealt are so obviously and overtly stacked against them at every turn.
