Shelter

I’ve always loved the idea of living in a remote Scottish lighthouse where the weather could close in and cut me off from everything and everyone - with, of course, wifi and all the conveniences of home. “Mason” (Jason Statham) has had the same idea - only minus the mod cons, and survives frugally thanks to a weekly delivery from a trawler man (Michael Schaefer) and his young neice “Jessie” (Bodhi Rae Breathnach). She takes pity on this lonely stranger, tries to engage with him and then on one very stormy day gets more than she bargained for ending up stuck with him. She’s injured, so he reluctantly sets off to the mainland where he finds a remarkably well stocked shop. What we know from this short trip is that he was also picked up by the omnipresent “THEA”. That is a covert government snooping system that illegally hacks into everyone’s kit and enables the unscrupulous “Manafort” (the entirely unmenacing Billy Nighy) and his MI6 snoops to keep track on everyone. His face initiates a full scale alert and swiftly his island has some heavily armed unwelcome visitors. Of course, they are no match for his ninja skills, but now he has the young “Jessie” to worry about too as he sets off to keep her safe and seek his revenge on the puppet-master about whom we gradually learn more. Aside from drastically increasing the murder rate of Scotland’s (well Ireland’s, actually) rural fishing/farming/forestry communities, this is a standard vehicle for a Statham who didn’t really need to learn any lines and who really only reprises roles we’ve seen from him plenty of times before. It’s one set-piece combat scene, or car chase, followed by another before it culminates in a conclusion that makes me glad my nightclubbing days are over. Breathnach offers quite a natural performance and he is quite a charismatic actor, is Mr. Statham - just don't be surprised by the predicable but enjoyable enough limitations of what this offers.

"Shelter" is, with one notable exception, a rather uninspiring action thriller. I'll start by saying I like Jason Statham, but really, for my money, the shining light in this otherwise rather dull film is Bodhi Rae Breathnach. She shines as the young girl Stratham sets out to save when she gets embroiled in his past life in the world of assassination and espionage. Looking beyond her performance, most other aspects of this film feel leaden, forced and predictable. Pacing is off too, with a lead-in that's far too drawn out for what is at its core an action film. In summary, "Shelter" does offer up a few shining moments that showcase new talent, but little else worthy of mention. A mediocre watch.

Thoroughly enjoyable Jason keeps making this movie over and over, and they are getting more and more refined. This is the Beekeper, sort of. A Working Man, sort of. The Mechanic, Transporter, and so on. And he does it well. His costar Bodhi is amazing, and with Bill as the anchor for plot the composition is solid. The action is great, the direction solid, the shots on point. I liked this a lot. It is not high cinema, and noone expects it to be. But it is good.