Shyamalan and Co. saw the "Signs"

Rating: Null/10 (5 August 2002)

If you've come for a sci-fi movie loaded with special effects, rent "Independence Day" instead. But if you're looking for a sci-fi film about the exploration of faith in a higher power, see "Signs".
Doesn't sound like a summer movie? Well, it is-- and it's not. "Signs", a suspense-thriller about a former Episcopal priest-turned farmer (Mel Gibson) and father of two who discovers mysterious crop circles in his cornfields which may or may not have been produced by extraterrestrials, is the scariest, most intelligent/entertaining movie of the summer and is one of the best films I have watched this year. But it's not just a movie you watch; you can feel it.
"Signs" was written, produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, the man who gave us two other very intelligent suspense movies including 1999's "The Sixth Sense" and 2000's "Unbreakable". With his tight script, he can go from hilarious to heartbreaking to nail-biting in one single scene. With his directing, he captures a mood; The opening credits and music are very Hitchcock, and he would have loved this movie. As the movie is very quiet, it pulls you in so you can experience the movie as the characters do. He gets some great performances out of Gibson (in one of his best roles ever), Joaquin Phoenix, in an often very funny turn as Gibson's younger rother, and especially the children, played by Rory Culkin ("You Can Count On Me") and Abigail Breslin. With his sound effects, he holds your attention with careful use of them, only bringing the out at their most unpredictable.
Like his other two films, Shyamalan is the master of unpredictable, with an ending that makes you go "What?" Unlike those two films, this one has far more going for it in terms of emotions interveaving with the plot. This is a movie about a potential alien invasion, but Shyamalan pulls you in a different direction that is ultimately more satisfying. And the ending is short, sweet, and perfect.
I wish I could say more about this movie, but I can't. This is the first film I have seen this summer that didn't let me down (with the exception of the dazzling "Spider-Man"), and I want to tell you all about it, but, as Shyamalan obviously states in his now-famous style, it's more fun to experience it for yourself.
***1/2 out of ****