Signs Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)August 5th, 2002
Affirming "Signs" of Life
When Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix) needs words of comfort, he usually turns to his wiser and spiritually-centered brother, Graham (Mel Gibson). After all, in the sleepy town in which they live, he is a respected reverend. Graham thinks for a brief moment and intones this piece of sage advice. There are two kinds of people in the world. There are those who believe that there is some cosmic influence that binds us together. Accepting it gives us a sense of belonging within some unifying plan, although sometimes that plan may remain unseen. For those people, they are filled with a sense of hope. However, there are those who believe that they are alone. And with that feeling of isolation, they succumb to fear.
Merrill is happy to proclaim that he is the first kind. Even in desperate times, there is hope to cling on to. Sadly, Graham does not feel the same way. A personal tragedy has stripped him of his belief. And, he no longer wants to waste another minute on prayer.
You'd never be able to tell that "Signs" is a parable about faith based on the movie poster that features ominous interlocking crop circles or from the commercials that project a haunting, close encounters kind of feeling. But the inclusion of the 'are-we-alone' aspect only serves to further fuel Graham's growing atheism. Is it some signal from God or is a masterful but empty hoax? Is Graham able to revive his conviction or is he doomed to emptiness?
Our hero is clearly struggling. His son (Rory Culkin) is asthmatic and his daughter (Abigail Breslin) has been acting strangely as of late, leaving half-empty glasses of water everywhere around the house claiming that it's contaminated. Their dog barks at nothing. And, the cornfield seems to rustle eerily, suggesting an evil presence in the air.
His signature style, which only reveal bits of information at a snail's pace, is hypnotic at times while frustrating at others. It works effectively when Graham is trying to determine, for example, who or what is in the cornfield. Those scenes are chilling and we brim with anticipation. The camera purposefully gives us the uneasy feeling that there is something just off-camera. It makes Graham and the audience jittery. Unfortunately, this is just a mechanism to tease us, and whatever may or may not be in those fields is not the point of the film. So, we're left wanting more much of the time.
Like "Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable," writer/director M. Night Shyamalan continues to display his skill as a raconteur. It's as if he ushers people around a campfire as he unveils a well-crafted tale that begs to be listened. We've seen and enjoyed his previous works and have become familiar with his style. He teases us with clues and we want to try to learn the twist as quickly as possible. We listen intently when there's nothing to be heard and we look for signs when there's nothing to be seen. It's maddening to be sure. But like all good stories, you've got to stay with it to its conclusion.
Grade: B
S: 0 out of 3
L: 1 out of 3
V: 2 out of 3
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