Signs
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Movie Reviews of Signs
Movie Review: Signs--Best of its Genre
Summary: 5 Stars
Aliens. Aliens invading the earth from another planet, with capabilities of spraying small amounts of poison gas at their enemies; aliens whose skin can take on the nature of their environment. Sound like your corny, everyday science fiction plot? On paper, yes-but here we're dealing with M. Night Shyamalan. With him, it's different. Signs is not what anyone in his right mind would compare with the sort of B-grade film you would expect from this genre. Not only does its suspense come in tantalizing, well-done bits-it also deals with far deeper matters.
One factor that makes this film so good is its small scope-a lot of the film, and certainly the most climactic moments, is filmed within one house and its surrounding cornfield. For this type of movie, this limited scope is perfect. Rather than seeing spaceships land on wheat fields or little alien communities living on blasted planets, most of what we can see is restricted to the observance of Graham Hess and his children, and his brother Merrill. And being a family in rural Pennsylvania, this isn't much.
As I said, the suspense comes in little snatches. First we find gigantic crop circles in the Hess cornield-and no explanation as to how it happened. Then on the TV we see that similar crop circles have been appearing in hundreds of places all over the world. Graham and Merrill chase a mysterious intruder around their house-who they think is a local troublemaker-and find out that he has jumped the ten-foot space from the ground to their roof, and that they need to re-think their ideas on who it was.
And so it builds...the very atmosphere of the movie is wonderful. It was inspired by Hitchock's The Birds, but in my opinion Signs tops that by a long shot.
As to the acting-it's all good. Mel Gibson is not what I would call a perfect actor, but his role as Graham Hess is not incredibly demanding, and he doesn't do very badly at all. He is by no means one of those actors who distracts the viewer attention by giving a bad performance.
Giving a better performance is Joaquin Phoenix as his brother Merrill. You ought to ask-Roman emperor Commodus as a Pennsylvanian who works at a gas station? That's right, and he pulls it off admirably well, with a perfect balance of humor and drama, depending on what the situation requires. And he is, of course, helped along by Shyamalan's superb screenplay.
Graham's son Morgan is the one flaw in this otherwise wonderful film. To put it in a nutshell...he's a brat. His brash, know-it-all behavior toward his father is extremely disrespectful, but mercifully doesn't take up much screen time. Seriously-in every aspect of life, who knows better? The father or the son? Obviously, the father would know more, but Morgan seems either not to realize this or ignore it in the film. I wish his character had been changed. But his mannerisms don't get too much time on the screen. Don't let it turn you off to this great film.
His sister Bo (interesting name for a girl) is much better as a character, and far easier to watch on screen than her brother. The actress who plays her does quite well, especially considering the fact that she must be quite young.
Then we come to Shyamalan's directing. We're talking about the man who helmed the tiller of the Sixth Sense here...it's tough to go wrong. The slow revealing of the aliens, the realism of the TV coverage of the invasion, the nail-biting suspense of the attack on the Hess' house, etc.-it's all awesome.
Besides portraying an invasion of the earth from extraterrestiral sources, Signs also deals with other things-with some "signs", as a matter of fact. This name does not deal strictly with the crop signs. We find out in the course of the film that Graham Hess was formerly a minister, but after the death of his wife left the church and thought he had left his faith. But throughout the course of the film events come together in such a way that he can have no doubt that Someone is watching over him and his family, and in the end his faith is regained. Wow-this sounds rather close to Christianity. Keep it up, Shyamalan!
For dealing with a genre like extraterristials, Signs is the best of its kind that I have run into. It's definitely worth seeing.
Movie Review: My Favorite Film
Summary: 5 Stars
M. Night Shyamalan (originally: Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan) can now be held responsible for creating one of the best movies I have ever seen.
I loved every instant, of every second, of every minute of both hours of Sign's. Once I saw Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall's "John Handcock" in the opening credits I knew it was going to be special. (They also executive produced "The Sixth Sense" for Shyamalan) Not only was Sign's backed by these Spielbergian's, it was brought to us courtesy of Touchstone, Beuna Vista, and Disney - (Pretty much the Siamese Triplet's of the Production/distribution world) and the production was handled by Blinding Edge.
Watching Sign's was like an imaginitive, well-crafted trip into a familiar land with a different vision. Concerning one of the major question's most people have about Sign's. Roger Ebert says it best, "I'm not even going to tell you whether or not there are alien's in this movie...it doesn't matter." And I agree one hundred percent. It absolutely doesn't matter. How much will you like sign's? Depend's on the size of your imagination my friends. In this film, its what you allow your mind to see that scares you. That's what makes it so special. After the 673 million dollar success of the Sixth Sense, he could have done anything he wanted. It could have very easily been War of the Worlds. (Which Spielberg will have completed soon). Sign's is about calmness, a serene portrait about one family on one little farm. And there it stays.
Mel Gibson, who plays Episcopalian priest Graham Hess, must learn a hard lesson of faith, that there is a purpose for everything, and that there is a God. But does he learn this lesson? Or, do we get the infamous Shyamalan twist at the end, and the last thing that we expect happens? Guess you'll have to see. Just keep your eyes open. Shyamalan's writing style has grown to it's magnitude. He's gotten plenty of practice while writing Unbreakable, Stuart Little, The Sixth Sense, Wide Awake and Praying With Anger. One of his favorite directors is Hitchcock, who is probably doing giddy summersaults in his grave right now. You can bet Shyamalan is the Hitchcock of our time. He has lassoed: Unbreakable, The Sixth Sense, Wide Awake, and Praying With Anger. (You can see his childhood works on the dvd's. A guilty pleasure he had to do.)
Like hitchcock he likes to be on screen in his movies a bit. He can be seen in Unbreakable (Stadium Drug Dealer), The Sixth Sense (Dr.Hill), Praying With Anger (Dev Raman). (He also produced Unbreakable and Praying with anger.) It is recorded that Shyamalan's biggest fear, is being average. He is far above average in my book. Sign's is set in the quiet farming community (thus the crop circles) in Buck County, Pennsylvania. It a great setting that is rural enough to feel creepy and at the same time (with the family) a home that feels safe. I was so glad to see Joaquin Pheonix, who is currently my favorite actor. (River Pheonix's brother) (can be seen in Gladiator, and 8MM...thats Eight Millimeter, for the unknowing folks. And at his best in "Quill's". Also, he is astounding in Ladder 49, on dvd in March.) He has a heart felt, loving role as an uncle who cares for his family and is dealing with his past. An excellent choice as Mel's brother.
There are two young stars that are for sure to have awesome futures, if they keep this trend up: Rory Culkin and Abby {Abbigail} Breslin. I only have one one word for these kids - WOW. Yes he is Macauley's Brother, and hopefully he will stick around longer. These kids are natural's.
Sign's now lays to rest on DVD FOR anyone to own. The picture and sound qualities are near perfect, and the extra's are sufficient for the release. In its Theatrical run, Sign's knocked it out of the park with a 408 Million dollar run. I couldn't think of a more deserving film.
After Thousands of movies, and seven years of reviewing, I have a favorite. ~SAOS~
Movie Review: Profound if you get past the candy and look to the message
Summary: 5 Stars
Father Graham is a disillusioned cleric with a ramshackle farm, two children, a mediocre former ball playing brother, and bitter memories of the tragic death of his wife when a driver falls asleep at the wheel. Whilst everyone else around him tries to move on, Graham (played by Gibson) clings desperately to his resentment, blaming God for taking his wife from him despite his role as a cleric in His service. The appearance of crop circles, and half-seen forms roving in and out of the farm's cornfields, confirm his lack of faith, until the final scenes of the film when he comes to realize that there are no coincidences.
It never ceases to amaze me just how many people watched this film, and totally didn't get the message. I am the LAST person in the world to espouse feel-good Christian ideology, being about as Christian as Osama Bin Laden on a bad hair day and about as Orthodox in my approach to Spirituality as GW Bush is in his approach to Truth. Regardless, whether you agree with the ideology or not, the message is delivered in a profound and thought provoking way. One of the best points in the film is when Gibson, the ex-cleric, and Phoenix, the ex-baseball pro, are discussing the "End of the World". It sums up the entire message of the film:
"People break down into two groups when the experience something lucky. Group number one sees it as more than luck, more than coincidence. They see it as a sign, evidence, that there is someone up there, watching out for them. Group number two sees it as just pure luck. Just a happy turn of chance. I'm sure the people in Group number two are looking at those fourteen lights in a very suspicious way. For them, the situation isn't fifty-fifty. Could be bad, could be good. But deep down, they feel that whatever happens, they're on their own. And that fills them with fear. Yeah, there are those people. But there's a whole lot of people in the Group number one. When they see those fourteen lights, they're looking at a miracle. And deep down, they feel that whatever's going to happen, there will be someone there to help them. And that fills them with hope. See what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that sees signs, sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky? Or, look at the question this way: Is it possible that there are no coincidences?"
As Spiritual as I considered myself to be, I realized that I fall into Group number two, and, considering the ramifications of it, I have to confess I wasn't too comfortable with it.
So, why the "ridiculous aliens that dissolve in water"? Did anyone count how many films with demons in them (or the title) came out in 2002? If Shyamalan had called these invaders demons, the message of the film would have been lost. He wants you to work for it a bit. Clearly, in the Judeo-Christian-Islamic theology, only God can fight demons. By obscuring their origins, or making it irrelevant, the message comes clearer. It's a parable of faith, and if demons existed, well, there had to be a God, as well, didn't there? Therefore having faith is a foregone conclusion in the circumstances. By making the villains less theological, but no less otherworldly, Shyamalan makes the question of faith under the circumstances less clear cut, but also more profound once it is made.
I'm one of those folks who likes to watch movies that make me think. It doesn't matter whether the message is one I agree with. In fact, messages I haven't agreed with tend to be more interesting, since considering them expands my point of view. Shyamalan has taken a deep, profound and, frankly, terrifying message and wrapped it in a candy-coating, then in colorful cellophane. Regardless, if you take your time and get to the "chewy middle" of this one, you will find the message no less powerful than that of the Exorcist, though perhaps wholly more positive in note.
Movie Review: A genuinely suspenseful and profoundly moving film
Summary: 5 Stars
It is an unfortunate fact of the remarkable special effects available to directors today that far too many rely on effects as a crutch for a weak story. For every Peter Jackson, there are three George Lucas's. Fortunately, we have M. Night Shyamalan, who in "Signs" recognized that the unknown shadow is infinitely scarier than the most elaborate CGI monster. Like Spielburg in "Jaws", for most of the movie, Shyamalan only hints at the menace that drives the tension. When you combine such an insightful director with a brilliant, thoughtful script, you have a recipe for a wonderful movie, and "Signs" doesn't disappoint.As one might guess, "Signs" takes as its jumping off point the appearance of a crop circle in the cornfield of a rural Pennsylvania man. Graham's not just any man though, he's the father of two (Morgan and Bo), a recent widower, and clergyman who has left the cloth in his grief. His brother (Merrill) forms the final element in the primary cast of characters. As UFO's appear in the skies and the world waits for the other shoe to drop, the viewer sees the drama unfold through the eyes of his family. Rather than resorting to elaborate special effects laden, set piece scenes, Shyamalan uses the relatively simple vehicle of TV news and grainy camcorder footage to set the scene.
It is difficult to describe much more without giving away key plot elements, but I can say that Shyamalan does an excellent job of ratcheting up the tension. In particular, he makes excellent use of shadows and relatively simple sound effects (scratching, breaking glass, footsteps, etc). Also, the score is utilized in a highly effective manner; in some ways it reminded me of "The Exorcist" which had very little music except for key moments. While there is somewhat more background in this film, it is used to much the same effect.
As entertaining and genuinely suspenseful a movie as this is, there is also a lot more to "Signs". It is deeply moving and grapples with some truly profound issues. I suspect that there are very few people who have ever been married, or even loved someone completely, who can watch Mel Gibson's scenes with his dying wife and not shed a tear. At the same time, Shyamalan struggles with issues of faith that are all the more profound in this post 9/11 world (shooting began on 9/12). Do things, even bad things, even awful things, happen for a reason? Is there a something greater at work here, or are we all just spinning around the sun in a cold, indifferent universe? At several points during the movie, Graham and Merrill share conversations that are among the most thoughtful I have ever encountered in any film.
Finally, lest the reader think this film is stifling in its suspense and seriousness, I would like to add that this is a genuinely funny movie. Merrill and Bo in particular add numerous light moments, many of which had me laughing out loud. This humor is key in keeping the movie from bogging down, and is an element that was sorely lacking in Shyamalan's other films.
Ultimately, this is a heartfelt, entertaining film of the highest caliber. It is suspenseful and scary in the finest tradition of Hollywood, and its limited use of special effects offers a sense of realism, of emotional depth, that is noticeably absent from most movies today. If you've ever struggled with issues of faith, if you enjoy scary, suspenseful movies, or both, "Signs" is definitely a film worth checking out.
Enjoy!
Movie Review: A Surprisingly Good Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to admit I am a fan of M. Night Shyamalan's films. I thought "Sixth Sense" was excellent, and despite the panning it got, I thought "Unbreakable" was pretty good too. I got "Signs" out with trepidation; I'm not exactly an "Alien" movie type of fan though I do watch them. However in this case I will make an exception to the rule. What a fantastic little film is all I can say. And oh boy, what heart stopping moments there are from beginning to end.
Don't rent this if you want gratuitous violence and bodies all over the place, this isn't that kind of movie. What it does do is play with your head big time. A series of crop circles are appearing all over the world and one of them has just turned up in a small field belonging to an ex-Pastor who is going through a crisis of faith.
M. Night Shyamalan choose a good cast with Mel Gibson (Graham Hess) excelling as the Pastor who has lost his faith in God after the accidental death of his wife in a freak car crash. The two child characters (Hess's young children) are equally good, with Rory Culkin (Morgan Hess) proving that he is as good as his famous older brother when it comes to acting. Abigail Breslin (Bo Hess) does justice to her role as little girl who has an odd phobia about water, a phobia that just might help save her and her family.
However out of all these excellent people for me by far the best was Joaquin Phoenix (Merrill Hess) who plays Gibson's much younger brother, a failed baseball player with a quirky habit of striking out because of his love of "swinging" the bat too much.
The move starts off as a patchwork quilt of ideas that are slowly pulled together to create a creepy story about the invasion of earth, and the concept that somehow things happen for a reason, not matter how terrible they might be. A surprise for me was how good an actor M. Night Shyamalan is. He had a bit part as the Vet who accidentally killed Gibson's wife in the car accident and who gave me one of two great giggles in a film with few laughs. Just as he about to flee to a place near water, he tells Gibson "not to go into his pantry" because one of "them" (the Aliens) is locked in their. He does it with such a dead pan expression that I had to laugh out loud. The next excellent giggle is when Gibson comes home (after his pantry experience) to find his two children and younger brother sitting on the sofa, all with aluminium foil hats on their heads, "So that Aliens won't hear their thoughts," I howled at that, it was so comical and yet you could understand and even feel their desperation as they tried to understand what was happening to them and the world.
The tension in the film builds up, M. Night Shyamalan doesn't let you glimpse the Aliens too often, all you get is a "feel" of them in the beginning but as the film gathers momentum you become more and more aware of them and their hostile presence. There is a neat twist in this film that is at first subtle then as the answers dawn on you it becomes obvious. I won't spoil it for you but this is cracking good film.
Just remember, it has little violence on show that is left to your imagination instead it relies on playing tricks on your mind.
I really enjoyed this film, and it made me jump on several occasions. Worth renting and watching with the lights off...if you're brave enough....