Contrived and pretentious

Rating: 4/10 (23 November 2008)

Like most of Shymalan's films, The Happening is pretentious. Don't get me wrong, there's a few stunning sequences (esp. an early one featuring some unexpected falling objects). But the deliberately tantalizing hints scattered throughout the movie, once again--much like in The Village, frustratingly proved to be just a tease and ultimately lead to nowhere. The whole setup and intentional atmosphere in the early part of the movie promised far more than was eventually delivered.
The Happening is not a very bad movie, and it has the potential to be much better. But that would require more honesty from Shymalan. Shymalan is a master creator of suspense. But except in The Sixth Sense and maybe Unbreakable and Signs, he failed to bring satisfactory resolution to the suspense he crafted. Consequently, by the time one leaves the theater, his later movies (The Happening in particular) feel empty, silly, contrived and forgettable.
It is most unfortunate that Shymalan's later movies increasingly bear the hallmark of a director/writer who has got famous and admired too early too fast. Fame and acclaims could lead one to all so easily be convinced that he's cleverer than the rest, and it showed in Shymalan's movies. He might indeed be a very gifted movie maker, but his strong self-assurance has got in his way of making truly good movies--movies with realistic emotional resonance, rather than inward looks of what is in Shymalan's own mind. Shymalan is overdue for a bit more self-confrontation. Until he confesses to himself that he's actually not as clever/intelligent as he believes he is, he cannot be as clever/intelligent as he has the potential to be.