Happenings.

Rating: 8/10 (19 July 2008)

I saw this movie today and read some of the comments. Most of the comments seem to be on the negative side..(his career suicide). I wondered whether most of the people are made of wooden hearts or what.
The story is about an unknown phenomenon happening in north east part of USAmerica. It affects the whole population of people and a family is running away from it. If I say a single sentence more then it would become a spoiler. But the story line is very thin and that is one of the reasons lot people criticizing about.
Assume you are watching this as Shyamalan's first movie then I bet everybody would enjoy it 100%. Being his 7th(or more) film audience get a better hint of Shyamaln's style. That takes off some % of interest built up in this movie.
In spite of all of these still the movie could scare you; if it is well-written and well-made. But here Shyamalan kept the standard in perfection but the script and dialogs are not impressive enough. The theme about nature producing toxins is a good notion and kind of making people to think about nature. But it did not threaten them enough.. Watching people committing suicide just before you is not scary for the audience who grew out of blood curling murders and ghosts all over these Hollywood years. I could see the audience don't even feel for the dying too.
I did not expect Shyamlan to scare me when I started watching the film. And hence I enjoyed it 90% because it is full of events make you involved till the end.
If dialogs and depth-of-scenes would have been concentrated then this movie would have made a great difference. otherwise acting, photography, editing and music all are fitting. I could remember a dialog in Signs till now ("Is it possible that there are no coincidences?"). Such a depth in dialogs and scenes would make a film memorable.
Otherwise it is one among the Shyamalan's entertaining movies. About the critics I feel that similar to Shyamalan these critics have been blocked by a critic-wall that make them to not enjoy a movie.
Watch it once. Don't expect a sixth sense feel. Just go for the simple mystery of the story. You might like it.