well done and spooky

Rating: Null/10 (2 August 2002)

As in well done tradition of Shyamalan, "Signs" can't be idly watched. He has you thinking, reacting, and feeling in a very everyday atmosphere. I found "Signs" to be a very real, witty, and thought provoking film.
From the beginning, the mystery of the movie is brought about in dialogue and simple images. It also had well placed allusions to previous well known "extra-terrestrial" "encounter" films sort of paying homage to those movies who have paved the way for his film. I found this very respectable and nostalgic. I also found that the suspense in the film was of an intellectual nature, and you had to know something about previous discussions of aliens--whether in film or text-to truly feel scared. To some this may be a downside to Shyamalan's film, but I thought it was refreshing to intellectually interact with it. I also thought that the selective contact with the "visitors" was well done. The whole movie felt very real in that way. I think that if this really happened to a normal American family living in a rural area, what we saw would be very close to the truth. Unlike, other alien movies which have had a very omniscient, or all seeing, point of view, we only see what the characters see in this film which adds to its realism. Our imaginations are left to come up with the missing pieces.
I do agree with some reviews that the quasi-spiritual part of the film could have been done better. It felt a bit forced and very disconnected from the suspense of the film. I understand its involvement superficially, but I could have missed something that Shyamalan was trying to convey. I guess I'll have to wait for the DVD commentary. However, as any reviewer should offer, go see the movie and make a decision for yourself--don't let others tell you what to think.