Heed not the fools, for this is filming greatness!

Rating: 10/10 (4 August 2002)

I saw M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs" last night and I must say that I cannot understand the negative attention that this film is getting. Yes, I have seen numerous good reviews for it, but also an inordinate amount of bad ones as well, and upon reading why some people didn't like it, it baffled me: the ending was "not conclusive" and "there were some sappy scenes" and, best of all, "some scenes were borrowed from other films."
Well, I am not here to spoil any part of the film but I will address the main criticisms of this film, since I do not feel I have to explain in depth what worked in it, I will just list it: solid acting from Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, the two kids, the very serious military general and Cherry Jones who plays a sheriff; very good cinematography and camera angles; numerous humourous moments and even better scary moments, which for a PG-13 film really put to shame anything I've seen in allegedly scary R-rated films; excellent atmosphere of tension and anticipation; and perhaps most importantly, an emphasis on some serious questions concerning the nature and ordering of the universe.
Having said what I liked, there was not much that I didn't. The so-called "sappy scenes" (I guess some people can't understand why a father would talk affectionately to his kids moments before they might all die) were effective, as they revealed the way a real person might react in such a situation. The so-called "dull" or "inconclusive" climax and ending, well, who said that movies should be so clean-cut and have a definitive ending? Such endings are for the simple-minded who desire their baby-food as opposed to a full course meal, generally speaking, and the fact that the film closes the way it does leads people to think about many things. The same people who didn't like the ending in "Signs" are the same ones who thought the brilliant ending to "Traffic" was also bad. Finally, about Shyamalan borrowing too much from other films, well, it does not change the fact that he is a brilliant writer-director who is capable of arranging scenes in an interesting, thoughtful manner, regardless of their origins.
All in all, "Signs" is one of the best films you will see this year, and is another feather in the cap of M. Night Shyamalan. Though the film has flaws (as does every film, without exception) they do not detract from the better parts. The film's strengths outweight its weaknesses, perceived or otherwise.