Watching this film truly is an experience. It works on so many levels. It is heavy (appropriately) but it's accordingly powerful and meaningful. And even though the ending is what we feared it must be all along, the weight of the subject matter is somehow lightened as the credits roll, and we find reason to hope and believe that good can be found in even the most terrible situations. This film was clearly crafted with fierce attention to detail, and the combination of direction, cinematography, performance, and sound is wonderful to take in. For me, it is truly amazing that this film was helmed by a first-time director. There's confidence and clarity in the way the audience is carefully guided through the various environments of the film, and it's obvious (though not overbearing) that, again, no detail visual or aural was overlooked. The principle players particularly bring real weight and believability to their characters, and for me they conveyed a sense of familiarity, a feeling of real life that rang true, even though I thankfully haven't had to experience the majority of what these people go through. The film leaves you with many things to think about valuable things and reason to empathize somewhat with someone that maybe you wouldn't have given much thought to a little less than two hours before.
Review of Take
