Rating: 
Summary: "Sign" Of The Apocalypse: I Enjoy A Shyamalan/Gibson Film
Review: "Signs" is a story "like 'War of the Worlds'" as one character self-awarely remarks, told from the macro and micro viewpoint. Not only do mysterious crop circles appear in Gibson's field, but in hundreds of other fields around the world; mainly in India, as television news reports would have us believe. As the possibility of alien invasion grows, television, radio, and an oddly prescient science book are the family's sources of abundant information. The science book offers Shyamalan an opportunity for one of his patented clunky lines of dialogue: "If the aliens invade, it means that everything ever written in science books will be wrong." Of secondary concern, presumably, is the distinct possibility that they'll want to eat your face. No matter. As the story moves along, the global concerns slowly become a MacGuffin, and the local and familial concerns become supreme. The film's focus narrows around Gibson and family and their struggles to comprehend and to survive. It is an effective technique, The film wastes little time in establishing its mood, and its influences. The credit sequence -- a bold grey background over which is laid a four-story tall font -- is punctuated by a score that will only *not* remind you of Bernard Herrmann's "Psycho" score if you've been deaf from birth. Couple this with Shyamalan's trademark cameo appearance, in a role that carries much of the film's exposition, and you get a good idea who he's trying to ape here. His detractors, eager to label him as a wannabe-Hitchcock, will have a field day gathering evidence to support their claims here. But Shyamalan mines a more spiritual side, for better or for worse, in his contemplative films. Shyamalan is unable to shoot a bad-looking movie, helped no doubt by ace "Silence of the Lambs" lensman Tak Fujimoto. His shot composition skills are near-perfect, must notably in the few scenes he arranges so that the camera peers through the farmhouse's window. The effect this has is that the front lawn appears as if it is underwater. A telling image, given where this film is going. And in the film's key moments of fright, genuine enough that I and the people around me in the theatre leaped out of our seats at the exact same time, he tastefully shows only what he has to, leaving any big revelations for later. Gibson plays priest-turned-farmer Graham Hess, torpedoed into a faithless funk by the death of his wife, who is still charged with being the gatekeeper of the town's morality even though he tells those who still insist on calling him 'Father' to stop. Whenever Gibson put on his priest's collar, in the mishandled flashback sequences, I had a tough time believing him. But when wearing his average Joe jeans and t-shirts his quiet earnestness worked. Burdened by a script that tries to make every spoken line of dialogue weighty enough to crush most mortal men, Gibson does a fine job of lifting with his legs and keeping everything on his shoulders. After the movie was about an hour old, and this is the best compliment I can think of, I forgot that I was watching Mel Gibson "act", and believed in the character he was trying to portray. Not a prodigious performance, but fine enough by Mel's low standards. Joaquin Phoenix, looking burlier than I've ever seen him, provides much of the film's comic relief. Whenever the film threatens to get bogged down under its weightier and scarier moments, Joaquin shows up to deliver a Merrill Hess moment, which may include a pragmatic take on just who ("nerds... guys in their thirties who can't get girlfriends") is making the crop circles, or a sympathetic -- and cute -- moment involving three Hershey's Kisses-shaped hats. Despite the fact that nearly twenty years separates their ages, Joaquin and Mel are credible brothers, Mel's burdensome perfection offering a yin to Joaquin's ballplayer manque yang. Abigail Breslin, as young Bo Hess, serves much the same purpose as Phoenix, i.e. deflating the suspense for a moment. Except where Phoenix provided comic relief, Breslin provides what can only be called cute relief. She's an adorable little sprite, with one gear: straight-faced charm. But it's a gear that you can't help giggling at whenever the little tyke is on screen. At one particularly suspenseful point Gibson tells her the story of her birth. All the women in the room squealed when she emerged from the womb, simultaneously exclaiming that she was the cutest baby they'd ever seen. It's a touching moment, given credibility only because Breslin is the kind of cute little girl that would elicit such a reaction. Rory Culkin, so good as the innocent young son in "You Can Count Me", nearly crumbles under the weight of his character's precociousness. Culkin does little more than stare pointedly at the adults around him, as if he is their peer. It's a testament to this little man's skill as an actor that his Morgan Hess doesn't crumble under the weight Shyamalan shovels on him. The denouement doesn't reveal just one secret, like "The Sixth Sense" or "Unbreakable"; it reveals many. But with less effect. If one had been paying attention all along, to repeated motifs and curious bits of exposition, the ending can be easily anticipated. But it's not about the secrets that are revealed; it's about the realization that these secrets prompt from the characters. The audience is never given a grand epiphany; they must empathize with the characters for the "gimmick" ending to work. I think this kind of "gimmick" storytelling has run its course, though. If Shyamalan doesn't trust that his stories are intrinsically interesting, so much so that he must throw in a twist ending as bait for audiences, than he'll burn out pretty quickly as a filmmaker. He's got strong skills, and when he learns to trust them throughout, he'll finally make great movies.
Rating: 
Summary: Powerful... See it Now
Review: I saw "Signs" the day after it was released. Through the film you experience many emotions-from fright to worry to sadness to joy. The entire audience in the crowded theater jumped with surprise and fear, laughed whole-heartedly, and I saw a few women even shed a tear during the movie. Everyone, myself included, was on the edge of his or her seat at one time or another or with a dropped jaw. "Signs" is suspenseful, at times funny, and I think it has a beautiful and powerful message to send audiences at the same time. The message is along the lines of faith and an existence of a higher power. Close to the end of the movie you have this sort of feeling where you begin to see how all the aspects and pieces of the movie fit in with each other. You get this moment where you just say, "Oh. I understand." Shyamalan did an awesome job writing, directing, producing, and even acting in "Signs", as did the rest of the cast. Gibson was wonderful as usual and completely natural in this role. Pheonix gave something great to the film that I can't quite pinpoint and added some comic relief. And the children did a nice job too. They added an innocence to this and it worked well. Go see this movie!
Rating:
Summary: IT WAS GREAT!!
Review: I thought that it was a REALLY good movie. I dont think that its for no younger than a 13 year old! I am 13 and me and my friend couldnt even sleep that night and the night after! There is a couple of funny parts and some REALLY scary parts to, there is also some REALLY sad:*( parts!! I think that they did a REALLY good job writing it. I'm even going back to see it again NO matter how scared I am!
Rating:
Summary: This Is Not The Sixth Sense
Review: This movie is not the Sixth Sense.That is not a bad thing.This is a great movie and should stand on it's own.I am sick of people comparing any Shyamalan movie to the Sixth Sense.Would you say Apocalypse Now is no Godfather?Why not,they are made by the same guy.It might be a little slow moving,but,the acting is wonderful(I loved the kids),and the execution is suberb.Just to sit back and watch as the movie unfolds was a real treat.
Rating:
Summary: A Haunting Experience
Review: I saw this movie early this afternoon, and here I am at midnight
feeling like something in this movie got into me and won't let go. Rarely has a movie gotten to me like this. I saw Psycho when I was a teenager and I got spooked in the shower for the next 20 years. And then there was Jaws, which spooked me for years even when I was swimming in fresh water. This one is working on me, too. I just don't know how. If you are looking for a Sci-Fi movie made for adults, check this one out. If you are looking for something that doesn't look like just a video game on film, you'll be able to get into it, and it may get into you.
Rating:
Summary: I USED TO LOVE CORN FIELDS , ARE WE IN KANSAS YET ?
Review: Right up front I want to say, this is truly one of the best flicks I've seen in a long time. It was paced, the cinematography was excellent and the movie score led you along and like the Erie score in Sixth Sense, never let you go. M. Night is becoming a guru in the field of how he lets the characters show how the movie is progressing; thru their facial expressions, you see in their eyes, what they are seeing in front, to the side, and to their backs. Thus making it even more spooky for the audience. I am not fond of movies that go bump in the night, boo, type of thing as in (Resident Evil ). M. Night stopped way short of that, giving you a bump or I should say a jolt and it was like, "Yeah I'm ready to leave!"
M. Night is also in the movie. He has been in a few of his other movies, earning him the labels of a 'Hitchcokian' type Director and his movies do have a flavoring of feelings from Hitchcock. All the actors were superb, Mel as (Father Graham Hess) 'We Were Soldiers,' 'The Patriot,' 'Ransom.' Who gave up his belief in an all mighty being after loosing his wife in a freaky, horrific accident. This accident is a pivotal point in Hess's thinking as is the last words of his wife . Mels' expressions as all of the others , were nothing short of perfection, but, after saying that I must say Joaquin Phoenix ,( Uncle Merrill) Clay Pidions , Gladiator, Buffalo Soldiers, does an incredible job with his facials and those of the two children are not to be believed. Joaquin Phoenix is going a long way in filmdom. He is great!
Rory Culkin , Morgan Hess, who did a great job in 'You Can Count On Me ,' does an even greater job in this flick. The scene of Morgan and his sister sitting on the couch, with their heads wrapped in tin foil so the Aliens could not read their minds is very funny. There are plenty of laughs in the first part of the movie, so hold onto them as it gets a lot more tense toward the end. Abigail Breslin plays the youngest of the Hess family (BO) and seems to have a water fixation, and is sort of annoying to her father. But she is immune to her critics .She has water glasses all over the house, and when asked by her father what is wrong with each glass, she can recite what is wrong with each one.
Almost forgot Cherry Jones, Perfect Storm, Erin Brockovich, plays the sheriff who investigates the crop circles on Hess's farm and she is a very good actress. There are no slackers in this film.
The signs are there people and you had better not let this one slip thru the cracks of your cinematic knowledge of what's "'really out there". ...
Rating:
Summary: Compelling Drama/Thriller from M. Night Shyamalan
Review: In his most pensive and thought-provoking film yet, writer/director M. Night Shyamalan examines personal faith and explores the possibilities of predestination, in "Signs," a riveting drama/thriller that also makes a case for the existence of extraterrestrial life in the universe; a film that questions the validity of coincidence, and puts forth the proposition that there is more going on in the vast expanses that surround our world than meets the eye. It's Shyamalan's way of saying "We are not alone," and he does it by whispering it in your ear rather than shouting to get your attention. And get your attention he does, without question-- in a way that is spellbinding and unforgettable. Graham Hess (Mel Gibson), of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, awakens one morning and discovers a design, beginning with a huge circle, that has been inexplicably imprinted in the cornfield that surrounds his farm. And he soon finds out that this is not an isolated incident; indeed, overnight the same thing has happened in fields around the world. The burning question, of course, is who did it? And moreover, how-- and why? It's a mystery to which there seems to be no logical answer. Or is it that it's too obvious, in which case it is also unbelievable. These are questions that, over the course of the next few days, will fill every waking moment of Graham's life, as well as that of his two children, Morgan and Bo (Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin), and his brother, Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix); questions about things beyond contemplation. Questions to which the answers can come none to soon. After his remarkable film, "The Sixth Sense," in 1999, the question everyone was asking was how is Shyamalan going to top that? He responded with "Unbreakable" in 2000, another remarkable film that presented a concept of evil unique in the history of the cinema. And with this film, Shyamalan has done it again, with another unique film that is a study in subtlety and nuance. There is a quiet intensity to this film that evokes the kind of silence in a crowed theater that is rarely encountered. From the opening moments, Shyamalan casts a spell over his audience, then maintains it as he continues to build the suspense, right up to the very end. He draws you in by getting up close and personal with his camera, which successfully puts you "in the room" as the drama unfolds. It's a studied presentation, and Shyamalan sets a decidedly deliberate pace that makes it work most effectively. Shyamalan traverses territory that will be familiar to Ingmar Bergman aficionados, as he delves into one of Bergman's favorite themes, that being "God's silence," which we find in Graham's ruminations of his own personal situation. Add to that the best elements found in such films as "Independence Day" and "War of the Worlds," with a dash of Rod Serling's "Twilight Zone," and you have "Signs," a true original, unique in it's own right and artistically and imaginatively rendered by Shyamalan, a one-of-a-kind writer/director who continues to amaze with film after film. Few directors can transfix an audience with such things as the sound of a cornfield rustling in the wind like Shyamalan can. And he allows his scenes time to not only develop, but imply; and it's these moments of silence, in which he focuses on a doorway, or an empty swing in the yard viewed through an open window, or an intimate close-up of the expression on a character's face, that are so telling and entirely captivating. As Graham Hess, Mel Gibson certainly hits his stride with his portrayal of a man who has come to a crossroads in his life only to encounter yet another challenge that exacerbates his inner conflict even more. Gibson has a commanding presence on screen that naturally draws the eye, and his performance here has a reserve that adds strength and depth to his character, who is dealing with some very complex issues that transcend his immediate considerations. To make this character (and the film) work, Gibson must convey a very real sense of personal loss and a need for redemption-- and he succeeds. Shyamalan obviously has a knack for tapping into and bringing out the best in his stars; he did it with Bruce Willis in "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable," and he does it with Gibson here. It's an honest portrayal that is very real, and altogether convincing. Joaquin Phoenix, too, gives a grounded performance as Merrill, a young man who has seemingly come to terms with certain aspects of his past, as well as the circumstances that have brought him to where he is at present. The success of his portrayal comes from the fact that Phoenix manages to find the core of his character and play upon it. It's a matter of having the kind of focus that makes the character believable, which is what Phoenix achieves here. He also has the kind of chemistry with Gibson that makes their relationship as brothers credible, which, in turn, is essential to the overall credibility of the film. Shyamalan has also worked his magic with his young stars, Culkin and Breslin, each of whom give affecting performances. Culkin displays a maturity beyond his years that works well for his character, especially in light of Morgan's current fragile state of being. And Breslin is absolutely endearing as Mo, a performance reminiscent of young Heather O'Rourke's Carol Anne, in "Poltergeist." The supporting cast includes Cherry Jones (Officer Paski), Patricia Kalember (Colleen Hess), Jose L. Rodriguez (Radio Host) and M. Night Shyamalan (Ray). A film that is intrinsically enthralling, at times frightening and genuinely eerie, "Signs" marks the accomplishment of a cinematic hat trick for M. Night Shyamalan, who is quickly becoming the new Hitchcock/Rod Serling of film, yet with his own unique signature. This makes three "originals" in a row for Shyamalan, a rare feat even among the greatest directors. The question now is, how is he ever going to top it?
Rating:
Summary: Ok, could have been better.
Review: I just saw it today, and well I was expecting more, Sixth Sense and Unbreakable are much better because at the end everything is resolved/explained and here everything just ends with alot of question still left like why what and how and then what? The director/producer/writer (all one person) didn't put alot of thought into the script lets just say a strong rainstorm could have solved all the problems.... If you see the movie you'll know what I mean.
Rating:
Summary: Some good jolts but not overly scary.
Review: Actually, although tense and creepy, the film isn't so much about aliens and being scared by them as it is about each person coping with their own fears. I really expected Signs to fail to live up to it's advertising and was pleasantly surprised that it actually surpassed the hype, though not quite in the way I expected. While the crop circles & aliens are definitely an issue in the movie they are not the main focus. The focus is on the family and how they are coping with their own fears and issues. This is not to say that the aliens aren't part of the story - they definitely are - but it's more a character study than a "monster" movie. I think that one of my favorite things about the film is how lots of little loose ends are tied up. Things that don't seem too important early on become clear and vital later in the movie. In fact, I can't think of any issue that didn't get dealt with by the end. The acting is really good on a variety of levels. Mel Gibson's portrayal of a widower who has withdrawn from his faith is touching and powerful. Joaquin Phoenix does a great job as the younger brother of Gibson who is searching for his path in life. The 2 children are good as well, turning in believable performances. All-in-all, I believe that M. Night Shyamalan has proven his talent as a director (& writer). I will be looking forward to his next movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Acting / Poor Script
Review: Because the microphone was lowered into the frame quite noticeably and with such regularity, it gave the movie a very amateurish look and feel. Reason why Bruce Willis is not in this one: His career could not recover from the stink left behind. The only two things this movie reveals is good acting and a big dud of an ending. The acting just was not good enough to rescue the script. Some things are just best left unseen.
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