a sign of a great new director

Rating: 9/10 (4 August 2002)

Signs is a very well made film. In his previous films M. Night Shyamalan with reflections, silence and sounds to move the audiences emotions. He has perfected his craft in Signs as all these things are present. His script is also amazing as the lines delivered by the actors are very believable and realistic. The supernatural and science fiction look of the film are only the surface. Beneath is a realistic story of a loving family. Shyamalan shows his mastery of film making by blending scary, sad and humorous to create a real life environment on film. The story may seem like it forshadows a lot, but that is done on purpose. Shyamalan duplicates a lot of scenes from classic horror films. He seems to be showing that he respects these films, but he is also trying to tell us that this is his original take on the horror alien movie. The special effects are perfect and utilized in just the right way. The actors are also amazing. Mel Gibson is back in great form, playing the somewhat reserved father and minister perfectly. Joaquin Phoenix is also good and shows a knack for comedic talent as his character is a mix of many different emotions. The children were wonderful and hopefully continue to act in films in the footsteps of Haley Joel Osment. Rory Culkin was wonderful and shows a true talent. Abigail Breslin gives a wonderful performance and was as convincing as any veteran actor. I give this film a 9 out of 10. It is a great film and a sign that Shyamalan will be with us for a long time.