Signs Review
by Shannon Patrick Sullivan (shannon AT morgan DOT ucs DOT mun DOT ca)August 5th, 2002
SIGNS (2002) / *** 1/2
Directed by M Night Shyamalan, from his screenplay. Starring Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin. Running time: 109 minutes. Rated PG for frightening scenes by the MFCB. Reviewed on August 4th, 2002.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Synopsis: Graham Hess (Gibson) is a former reverend who lives on a farm with his children, Morgan (Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin), and his troubled brother Merrill (Phoenix). When crop circles appear in his fields and his dogs begin acting strangely, Graham starts to realise that something is very wrong. And when Graham spies something not human through his farmhouse window, he begins to fear for his family's safety.
Review: Most movies involving science-fiction or the supernatural are concerned mainly with the heroes on the front lines -- the people dealing with the alien menace, or confronting the monsters mano-a-mano. "Signs", on the other hand, tells the simple story of a family of bystanders who just happen to be caught up in mysterious goings-on. It's as if, say, "Independence Day" were told from the perspective of some guy that Will Smith passes in the street. And because of that narrow focus, Shyamalan is able to dispense with the baggage normally associated with this kind of film. He doesn't need to show the enemy being routed or explain their sinister motivations, because it's irrelevant to what he's really interested in, and that's how a regular family is affected by an encounter with the unworldly. Aided by fine performances from all of the small cast, Shyamalan gives us reason to care for the Hess family in a way that we often don't for a more generic picture's larger-than-life hero. As a result, "Signs" is invested with a palpable air of suspense reminiscent of the director's own "The Sixth Sense". But this is a more mature work which also touches on themes of faith and family. Indeed, by dispensing with the more ponderous stretches which occasionally bogged down his earlier works, Shyamalan has produced possibly his best movie to date.
Copyright © 2002 Shannon Patrick Sullivan.
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