One of my favorite things to do here at Idol Chatter is promote those little movies that almost no one has heard of and let readers know when they finally become available on DVD. It;s been awhile since I have made a recommendation, but this week a little indie movie that barely saw the light of day two years ago was just released this week. “Take” is not exactly lighthearted viewing (though I actually don’t understand the R rating because it only has a few instances of profanity and nothing else objectionable), but it is an unexpectedly powerful, redemptive story with a stellar cast (Minnie Driver and “The Town”‘ star Jeremy Renner).
“Take” explores two days in the lives of two people – one a gambler in trouble and one a struggling mother with a special needs child. Though they don’t have any connection to each other, their lives become inextricably woven together in a split second with a diasterous outcome.
The film is a quieter, less flashy look at the nature of sin and redemption than other films that have examined the issue of crime and punishment versus forgiveness and grace and is in some moments, all the more powerful for that. Without giving anything key away,the final scenes are perhaps a bit of a stretch in terms of credibility, but that is a minor criticism. If you are looking for an intelligent, thought-provoking , mature film, this is an excellent choice worth seeking out.