The rustling trees

Rating: 7/10 (11 January 2010)

The tranquil setting of Central Park becomes a nightmare as people come to abrupt stops in the Literary Walk. The wind plays on the trees and there is an eerie sense of doom in the air. To make matters worse, all over the city we watch in horror as construction workers throw themselves from scaffolding to their deaths.
The scene changes to a Philadelphia high school where science teacher, Elliot Moore, is trying to interest his students into the lesson at hand. There is an interruption from the principal because she wants the staff to know about the alarming emergency in New York. Elliot and his wife Alma, are planning to leave the city with his friend Julian and his family. On the train they learn that Philadelphia has been undergoing the same sort of problem, a phenomenon that most of the East Coast is experiencing.
Although there is no sight of panic, the passengers are alarmed. Alma's cell phone has been getting calls from someone called Joey, which she doesn't answer them. The train stops in a small town in Pennsylvania. The passengers flock to the only diner nearby, where the patrons learn about horrible things happening in the city they left behind. What to do? Julian, who is traveling with a small daughter, Jess, is concerned because he hasn't heard from his wife who was on a trip to Princeton. He decides to leave Jess with the Moores and go on his own. Elliot gets a ride from a strange man that wants to stop at his home where he has a green house to pick up things for a trip West, as all the announcements in the news are asking people to do. It appears whatever is happening is concentrated to the Easternmost side of the country.
The strange thing finally catches with Elliot and the people he is traveling. There is no place to turn to be safe. Elliot decides to divide into small groups and try to stay away from the blowing wind. Elliot, Alma and Jess get shelter with one strange lady that lives alone in an old house. Unfortunately, what they feared is getting to them and there is no way to turn.
M. Night Shyalaman, the director of "The Happening" has a passion for telling stories like this one, where mysterious things always happen, as is this the case in this tale of a strange force that seems to come from the trees as the wind plays with them. In a way, it's like nature's revenge for what we humans have done to the environment. The director, who wrote the screenplay, has fallen out of favor lately because of his misfires. "The Happening", on the other hand, is like a cautionary tale, beautifully photographed by Taj Fujimoto in which the awesome beauty of the Pennsylvania country is at the center of the action. The film will no doubt infuriate some people, but it is not a total failure. Although a bit far fetched, one can't dismiss it completely because it tells a good story in its 91 minutes running time.
The best excuse to watch the movie is the work of Mark Wahlberg, who is perfect for Elliot Moore. This actor, usually seen in action movies, proves he is a natural in his take of the science teacher who understands the dangers he is facing. Zooey Deschanel's role doesn't allow her to do much. John Leguizamo, playing against type, has some good moments. Betty Buckley appears as the mysterious Mrs. Jones.