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Film Details:
Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable) Starring Review: by Melissa (e-mail your faithful reviewer) Friday, I had the sublime pleasure of seeing Signs in the theaters before anyone had told me anything about it. I knew it had something to do with crop circles, and that it starred Mel Gibson. I had purposely isolated myself from buzz around the movie because I wanted to experience it the way that I didn't get to experience The Sixth Sense. (Yes, someone told me the ending before I saw the film... and you know who you are, you cursed person.) In a nutshell, Signs is great until you get to the last five minutes or so. No, there is no twist ending this time, which is fine -- I was worried that our dear Shyamalan was going to become a one-trick pony. Unfortunately, though, the end of Signs suffers from overexplanation. Where The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable were undoubtedly made for intelligent folks who could handle their subtleties, Signs often lapses into overinformation. It's a terrible shame that it suffers so much from that, because otherwise, the film borders on greatness. The performances are understated and solid, the story is engaging, and the suspense sequences are absolutely masterful. Aside from a few minor elements that don't work (the "news coverage" sequences are absolutely lame), the film works like a Stradivarius violin in the hands of someone who has the talent to play it, but not necessarily the experience to handle it. Is it effective, even with its flaws? Hell, yes. I don't think I've ever jumped and screamed in a theater, but I did during this film -- many times. It has a great balance between high-wire suspense, thoughtful creepiness, and jump-out-and-grab you terror. And the best part? It's all done without a drop of gore, and it's done almost completely without a visual of the stalking terror itself. Mind you, I'm all for gore and creature effects, but it's nice to see a director working today that understands that you can scare an audience without it. This film is especially fun for film geeks, especially horror film geeks. Shyamalan borrows heavily from the other masters of suspense, and the homages are easy to spot. Take one cornfield from Stephen King, add characters from Spielberg, mix in a smattering of Hitchcockian music and effects, and add one huge dollop of George Romero. Stir, heat, and serve... it's a decent meal. Romero fans will especially dig the magnificent basement scene near the end. It's not a great movie, but it is well worth seeing. Definitely go see it before someone ruins all the good parts for you. Make sure you spend the money to go see it in the theater, too... it's worth the extra few dollars to be immersed in this film. Further Information: |
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