The muster of great acting AND a wonderful story

Rating: 10/10 (21 October 2002)

Signs. That sounds like an interesting name. What could it mean? What is referred by it? Those are the questions I was asking myself when watching the trailers. I expected it to be about aliens, invasion and sort of Independence Day type deja vu. I was surpassed by a more complex, enriching story.
"Signs" is loosely based on H.G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds" where aliens attempt to take over the Earth. However, in Shyamalan's version, there is also something else aside from the invaders: faith. Mel Gibson, a former reverend named Graham Hess, has lost his faith in God after a horrible family tragedy and become atheist. Upon these events emerging from crop circles in his fields to all over the world, his close ones, his brother Merril (Joaquin Phoenix) and his two children Morgan and Bo, along with himself, begin to interpret independently what these events could mean. Eventually, they all merge together into one: the end of the world. They must find a way to protect themselves and hope it will "all pass." The scenes have very good acting and emotion to each one.
I enjoyed this film. Very much. It's not about why aliens attempt to colonize the earth or how crop circles are made. It's about one thing: a man's journey to realize that there is still something left for him to believe in, to discover whether events happen for a reason, or just "pure luck." There were comic moments in the films that were not intended to be so, but the audience I was with, along with myself, found them to be hilarious, especially Phoenix's character.
I urge all those to see it. But do not be drawn into it expecting a sci-fi flic. Simply walk into with an open mind and just let your imagination do the rest. By the way, there were some scary moments that had a HUGE effect on the mood of the film. You'll love them.
A solid 10 out of 10.