One of the strangest films i've seen

Rating: 6/10 (24 February 2012)

I haven't watched many of Shyamalan's films but what I have realised from the ones I have is that they all have a certain style. This film was no different.
Although I enjoyed the settings of the films, the basic concept, and the cinematography, there were a lot of flaws with this film.
1. The acting was of a very low standard. I think someone in the casting department needs to think of a job change. Mark Wahlbeg delivered a very poor performance in this film to the point where you wondered if the acting was supposed to be intentionally bad. I think he should just stick to his cop roles which he actually manages to pull off. He doesn't make a good teacher. Zooey Deschanel wasn't much better either and she's normally quite good at acting as from the other films i've seen her in.
2. The storyline. Although I enjoyed the basic concept of a neurotoxin poisoning people and making them commit suicide, they got to the answer of why it was happening a bit too quickly. The plants did it? seriously, someone in the writers department should probably think about a job change too. And what was with Wahlbergs character reciting how to carry out a scientific investigation like he knew exactly what was happening? He's a high school teacher, not exactly a CDC doctor or something.
3. The ending was a little rubbish if truth be told. I expected something a bit more dramatic then, 'the plants must've stopped killing people just as we were about to give up, lets go home, everything is alright now.' Although on the other hand I did like the small part after that, set in Paris or wherever it was.
It seems i've talked about a lot of bad things with this film yet i'm still giving it a six, because although its not up there with some of the great films, its still worth a watch, for the storyline and settings mainly. Its nicely directed and sticks to the theme of a Shyamalan themed movie. If just a few tweaks had been made to this film though, such as improved acting and a bit of a better explanation for the neurotoxin, then perhaps it could have been up there with some of the great movies.