Signs (2002)
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller/Mstery
Story
When crop circles appear in Rev Graham Hess’s (Mel Gibson) corn field, his brother and two kids get spooked. They try to figure out why this is happening there and all over the world and quickly come to the realization that Aliens are waiting near crop circles to land. Rev. Graham Hess and his brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix) have to try and protect the two kids Morgan and Bo from the aliens as Rev. Hess continues to battle the tragic loss of his wife who died in a car accident caused by Ray Reddy (M. Night Shyamalan).
Everything Else
The directing of signs follows suit with other M. Night Shyamalan films in that he is great at creating just the right amount of suspense. This movie does not use the crazy twist tactic everyone was surely looking for after seeing The Sixth Sense, but rather Signs tries to build suspense in each situation the family finds themselves caught in. The soundtrack and camera work do wonders in achieving the goal of making the film suspenseful and there was even a couple “jump out of your seat” moments in the film.
The acting was good by Joaquin Phoenix who was just on his way up the Hollywood ladder at this point. Mel Gibson also did his normal good job of acting and made a believable Reverend. Although it seemed odd he was married and had kids, but appeared to be a Catholic priest. Something did not match up with his faith, but the point of the loss and return his of faith still came across quite well. Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin both did well in their roles as the children. Abigail Breslin must have launched her career from this film, but I have not noticed Rory in as many movies since. You have to be rooting for any Culkin though right. Ray Reddy played by M. Night Shyamalan was the worst character and M. Night Shyamalan does not know how to act. Every line he delivers seems so forced it is awful. Unfortunately though, he has every right to be in his own movie. M. Night Shyamalan should stick with the smaller roles in his movies like the doctor that has one line or things like that.
The Real Deal
I liked Signs a lot when it came out and even upon multiple viewings. It has more replay value than The Sixth Sense since there is not really any big twist that once you know it there is not much else left. Signs may not have been as good as The Sixth Sense was the first time, but M. Night Shyamalan continued to create a well made movie which certainly seemed fresh and original like all of his movies have. There is only minor language and violence in Signs and the only true disturbing things are the “jump out of your seat” moments. This could be viewed by a large audience which I am sure is what Shyamalan was going for (in fact it is a Sharon Movie). I would recommend this movie to anyone with an interest in a movie about aliens attacking earth and fans of Shyamalan. The only thing you have to remember is that this is not The Sixth Sense and there is no big twist; if you do not look for it, it makes the movie a whole lot better.
The Short Version
Raw Score: 807,448
Sharon Movie? Yes
5/30/2008
Sharon Movie: Signs (2002)
6/20/2007
The Gathering
The Gathering (2002)
Director: Brian Gilbert
Writer: Anthony Horowitz
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller
What's It About
Christina Ricci plays Cassie Grant, a girl that gets in a car accident in an unfamiliar town and doesn't remember why she is there. Cassie finds herself in an interesting situation when she keeps seeing horrifying images of the townspeople around her. The strange visions begin to add up, but the truth is hard for Cassie to take. This film is about having a second chance in life.
How'd They Act
The most notable actress is Christina Ricci who plays Cassie Grant. Ricci does well in this horror film. Although she does not give a truly great performance, she is able to pull off the role of Casie Grant quite well. Ioan Gruffudd plays Dan Blakeley, but the main character is Ricci. Gruffudd seems to be a good actor, but he is not given the chance to really break out in this film. Fantastic Four is even more unlikely to boost his career in my opinion. If want a film this has one main actress, with one main part, then you've got it.
Delivery
The directing was clean and understandable, but there are no break throughs here. Sometimes strong, consistent directing is all that is needed to make a great film, but this time it left the film with many opportunities to grow. When I think about a movie that was able to have strong, consistent directing without bringing attention to itself, I think about The Saint (my second favorite movie). Philip Noyce directs in a way that makes the viewer not think about the directing at all, but concentrate on the other aspects of the film and how they come together beautifully. The Gathering seemed a little rough around the edges at times, and without any other strong actors besides Ricci, the directing almost seems bland here. This is definitely not directing with the intensity of The Shining from Kubrick or Natural Born Killers from Oliver Stone. The directing and cinematography does carry the movie through without too many "ouch" moments.
The Real Deal
This less know horror movie may surprise you with its meaningful message. It may not have been worth the ticket price when it came out, but a Blockbuster Online rental was more than worth it. If you want a horror movie without too much gore and a little deeper plot line, then this may be your movie. Christina Ricci does well in this film. The most shocking fact about this movie may be how it ties back into to morality and religion with respect.
The Skinny Version
Raw Score: 741,871
Sharon Movie? No
