The art of film-making is back with a vengeance.

Rating: 10/10 (29 June 2008)

There have been few movies this year that I have wanted to see in the theatres. "Don't Mess with the Zohan" just didn't seem worthy of my $10.50 (the price of a movie in Wenatchee now. Absurd.) However, I have seen all of M. Night Shyamalan films in a theatre first, and I always intend to.
I owe M. Night so very much.
I would pay exactly ten times my admission price to see his work. Here is why: Every MNS movie is stylized in different ways. I never know what to expect when I go see a film of his. The Happening is no different. Initially I thought "why is Markie Mark over-acting so much??", but it quickly became clear to me that he was directed to do so, as was the rest of the cast through the whole movie. It works. It works magic. Zooey Deschanel is lovely and lovable, despite mistakes and foibles that any human dislikes in themselves, and so often despise fictional characters for possessing. Ashlyn Sanchez, the 8-year-old in the film, has a tough time grasping the style that MNS was aiming for, and it can be a little distracting, but I plead with you to give her a chance. She was attempting very difficult things, and not all kids are Haley Joels. In fact, all of the actors in the movie were ever so slightly off target regarding the style MNS was encouraging, all except John "I'm freaking amazing" Leguizamo. He was simply perfect. He clearly understood exactly what was expected of him, and he delivered a performance so sincere that it was haunting. The man is severely under-rated.
Every M. Night movie combines genres. The Happening was no different. He deftly combines sci-fi and horror (granted, that's not difficult) with a smattering of romance, comedy, mystery, and disaster. The one thing you will NOT see in The Happening is action. It is calm, collected, realistic, and quiet. And my heart was pounding the whole time. There were times I felt I could not breathe, times I felt I should remain perfectly still, and at times I wanted to run. I was fully engrossed in the universe of the characters, because it was very realistically set in a universe I might occupy.
Every Shyamalan movie deeply changes me in some way. The Happening was no different. The "what if"s brought about by this movie are endless for me. The mental and spiritual preparation I have spiraled into in order to handle these "what if"s has already effected me positively. You can laugh at me if you want, but to deny yourself the gifts that art has to offer is tragic and a detestable waste.
There are many people who are going to hate this movie. Those people should go see "Zohan". Or "The Incredible Hulk". The Happening passed up Iron Man as my favorite movie of the year so far. It was a tough call, Iron Man was expertly done. It simply did not change me in the way that only a film like The Happening can.
I HIGHLY recommend seeing this movie if you can appreciate an unconventional style, and a premise so scary that it makes me want to purchase all manner of military survival gear.
I do NOT recommend seeing this movie if you need to see things smashed and blown up. Or if you need dialogue that doesn't seem like it's out of a radio play. Or if you are expecting any kind of terrifying plot twist. There is none. It is what it is.
Really, really good.