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What on Earth is
Happening?
M. Night Shyamalan is one of the great
cinematic storytellers of this generation.
He has made three certified masterpieces --
"The Sixth Sense", "Signs" and the majestic
love story, "The Village". I was also
thoroughly enamored with "Lady in the Water"
and "Unbreakable". Over the past
decade, I can count on one hand the number
of directors with comparable résumés.
The notion that he
is a "twist" director is patently false.
I don't even know where the idea comes from,
as there hasn't been a twist in any of his
films since "The Sixth Sense". The
search for twists can be blamed solely at
the feet of the viewers who like to
pigeonhole films before they actually see
them.
What people are
actually trying to say is that M. Night
Shyamalan is a secretive director -- who
doesn't like to give away all the answers
for the simpletons in the audience. He
is a great director because he demands that
we work a little. Many viewers take
offense to that notion, preferring to be
spoon fed all their entertainment.
"The Happening"
represents somewhat of a departure for Night
-- who delivers a 70's-style B-movie
disaster flick, replete with melodrama, gore
and cheesy moments that will elicit some
hearty chuckles. I had fun with this
film... a Shyamalan effort that doesn't feel
as weighty as his previous films.
Sure, there is a message beyond the tension
-- but it doesn't take itself too seriously.
There was a dreadful
film, in 2007, called "The Mist" which plays
on many of the same themes seen here.
However, that cinematic turd was a miserable
and overly-serious fustercluck. It
failed to accept the inherent silliness
involved in the story and went on to deliver
the most ridiculous ending to a film in
years.
"The Happening"
accepts itself for what it is --
cheesiness-incarnate! There may be an
underlying theme which begs us to
contemplate our relationship with the Earth
we live on, but it never forgets to
entertain and thrill. It never wanders
into the realm of preachiness.
I find it amusing
that Night's "lightest" film is the first of
his career to receive an R rating. It
probably deserves the R for some rather
gruesome death scenes -- but in terms of
tone, I think it is his most child-like film
to date.
There is no denying
that this is Shyamalan's least powerful film
to date. It doesn't have the emotional
impact, nor the grand ambition of his other
work. "The Happening" doesn't try to
be much more than a 70's B-movie. In
that endeavor, it succeeds nicely. It
is far from a great movie, but it certainly
entertained me enough to merit a solid
recommendation.
©
Written by TC Candler
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