Shyamalan Getting' All Romans 8:28 with It

Rating: 7/10 (20 April 2017)

You think crop circles are a hoax? M. Night Shyamalan's film tries to have you thinking differently. And not just about crop circles.
Rev. Graham Hess, is a widower living in a farmhouse along with his two children, Morgan and Bo. Graham's younger brother, Merrill, has also joined the household. Wait. Did I say REVEREND Graham Hess? Make that FORMER reverend since, as a result of his struggle to make sense of his wife's death, Mr. Hess has lost his faith.
His wife's dying words were "Tell Merrill to swing away..." The randomness of those words sends Graham into a nihilistic tailspin, causing him to say things like, "I am not wasting one more minute of my life on prayer" and "there is no One looking out for us...we are all alone."
But it is the seemingly random words and happenstances of the film that congeal in the end to produce an epiphany of sorts. In this regard, Hess's epiphany is not too different from the one experienced by Jules in Tarentino's PULP FICTION.
If PULP FICTION had a big idea, it was that even the least worthy can catch a break from the Man Upstairs. Similarly, Shyamalan's big idea here is that even when aliens with bad intent show up on earth, God still cares, God is still in charge. It's just not so obvious. Until it is.
In this way, "Signs" may just be a 105-minute, suspense-filled meditation on the Scripture that goes, "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God..." (Romans 8:28). And maybe even for the good of those who don't.
This film has its definite strengths. There are some genuinely eerie moments midst the cornstalks (naturally). The "Field of Dreams"-like setting and cinematography are easy on the eyes, effectively contrasting with the shadowy alien invasion.
As for the cast, Abigail Breslin (as Bo), barely six years old and in her first film, does a great job being unself-consciously precocious. And there's barely a hint of Mad Max in Mel Gibson's Graham Hess. Furthermore, I tend to like anything Joaquin Phoenix does, including the weird Hip-Hop-ZZ-Top thing he did a few years ago. The weak link is the older brother (played by the younger brother of the kid who played the kid in the Home Alone films).
Cinematically speaking, it is clear that Shyamalan has learned much from his movie-making idol, Alfred Hitchcock. On the other hand, unlike Hitchcock, Shyamalan is not content with a fleeting cameo. Instead, he cast himself in the role of a major minor character and the low quality of this performance is distracting. So, yeah, another weak link.
Yet another complaint: the aliens come off as pretty wimpy. How is it that a humanoid species can figure out how to travel from one solar system to another but can't figure out a defense against one of the most basic of elements? C'mon now.
Really, the best thing about this film is the theological question: Does a caring God exist or not? Shyamalan keeps this theological tension taut throughout the film and resolves it in a manner that you probably did not see coming.
UPSHOT: despite its flaws, "Signs" manages to be a worthy film that can promote an even more worthy conversation about fate and faith, God and grace.