O Masterpiece
O Excellent
X Good
O OK
O Mediocrity
O Avoid
Review by Jason Pyles / June 18, 2008
“The Happening” is a good movie because its writer, producer and director, M. Night Shyamalan, knows how to make an involving film. Here is the secret: When a movie makes us ask questions and wonder about who, what, when, where, why, or how, then it is intriguing. And the more intensely we are compelled to wonder, the better the film. “The Happening” makes us wonder a good bit, so it clocks in at “Good.”
Shyamalan sucks us into an opening scene set in Central Park, where two girls are sitting on a bench. One asks the other if the people off in the distance are clawing themselves. Then, quite unexpectedly, one of the girls does something horribly shocking to herself.
Since I am discussing a Shyamalan film, I will tread lightly with plot description. But basically, bizarre occurrences of gruesome, mass suicides are plaguing the Northeastern United States. The morbid phenomenon is inexplicable. The usual conspiracy theories are employed: biological terrorism, water contamination, nuclear contamination, a deadly airborne virus, and so forth.
Through these troubling times, we follow the experiences of Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg), a dedicated science teacher. We watch as he gathers his family and friends, flees and avoids the big cities, and watches the ominous, escalating news reports. This nerve-racking mystery continues through most of the movie, accentuated by chillingly graphic instances of suicidal grotesqueries.
The feeling that pervades “The Happening” reminded me of the uneasy feelings I had the day the terrorists attacks were unfolding on Sept. 11, 2001. I remember that morning how no one really knew — initially — the extent of the attack. As more planes were reported to slam into buildings, one could not help but become irrational and wonder if one’s house would be next. Indeed, United 93, the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania probably flew over my home at the time, according to the maps on TV, so I guess it could have been my house.
And though Sept. 11 wasn’t fun at all, “The Happening” is a good time. I thrill to watch movies that make me ask myself, ‘What would I possibly do if I were in that situation?’ In fact, I usually identify so closely with the characters, for that 90 minutes, I am in their predicament vicariously.
“The Happening” was pitched as the director’s first R-rated film. Oooo. But the R-rating comes solely from its violent images of suicide. I cannot recall any profanity (to speak of), nudity, sexuality, drug use, etc. Even so, the R-rating is appropriate.
In true Shyamalan fashion, there is an eventual revelation that more or less explains the creepy phenomenon. And the director loves to leave us clues along the way; perceptive audience members can glean much. But similar to some of his other movies’ anti-climactic revelations, such as “Unbreakable” (2000), Shyamalan’s “The Happening” yields a surprisingly quiet pay-off. Still, the noisy stir that leads to said pay-off makes the overall movie work.
It is particularly admirable how Shyamalan’s “villain,” for lack of a better term, is uncommonly benign … or so it would seem. But in addition to entertaining us with a tingly mystery, Shyamalan manages to deliver a message movie, too.
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Mark Wahlberg / Zooey Deschanel / John Leguizamo
Thriller / Mystery 91 min.
MPAA: R (for violent and disturbing images)
U.S. Release Date: June 13, 2008
Copyright 2008: 299
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1 comment:
I really appreciated your willingness to look at the positive side of a film that most movie critics are taking pride in poking fun at right now.
I really, really, really wanted to like this movie. Night has all the makings of a great filmmaker without one crucial element: consistently good films. I love the Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and The Village. Haven't been a huge fan of his other work. Signs started out well then fizzled. Lady in the Water...uh...well...I liked his casting choices. I can't say the same for The Happening. As much as I like Mark Walberg in Three Kings or I Heart Huckabees, Zooey Deschanel in All the Real Girls or The Good Girl, and John Leguizamo in Summer of Sam or Moulin Rouge they were all very poorly cast in this film.
Not that casting was the biggest problem, but it would have helped. The biggest problems were story structure and pacing. The conceit was enjoyable. It was like a zombie film with no zombies or The Birds with no birds. It was a film about survival and how humans treat each other when there is nobody around to enforce good behavior.
Of course, it was also an environmental film. For me, that's the part the doesn't really pan out--and I believe in global warming! I wonder what the other half of the country was thinking.
As usual, Night is an expert at finding a tone and establishing a sense of place. I prefer Roger Deakins as a cinematographer to Tak Fujimoto, but his work was competent--and at times beautiful.
This film stuck with me. As you said, it makes you think. I thought about it a lot and even wanted to see it again the next day.
The film has had a lot of criticism for being overly dramatic--to the point of being funny. I actually enjoyed the laughability of some scenes. It felt real to me and appropriate to the film.
All of these things made the film enjoyable to me. Still, there are not enough of them to make the film watchable for a main stream audience. Unfortunately, most people will be too bored by this film to hate it.
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