← Back to Reviews
in
Review #57: Signs.
An ex-priest who is now a farmer and his family, awake one morning to find that their cornfield has a crop circle.
As more and more unusual things happen around the local town and county, animals acting strangely and shadowy, fast moving and unseen figures sneaking around people’s properties, the family begins to realise that something isn’t right in the neighbourhood.
When odd lights appear in the night sky above major cities around the world, their worst nightmare and unbelievable truth dawns on them.
Shyamalan, using his usual techniques, magnificently pieces the simplistic story together using humour, shadows, bump-in-the-night-noises and slowly unveiled mystery.
It’s certainly one of his best works in terms of storytelling too, though, as I said, it’s simplistic, but the cast chosen for the film make it even more of a joy to watch and discover the strange goings on throughout.
Another good point of the film is the title: Signs. There are many subtle levels to the meaning of the word that are used throughout the film, the audience has to watch out for them all too which gives you a sense of participation.
As for the acting, Mel Gibson is extremely likeable as the ex-preacher. His backstory is pieced together in an ABC-123 set of flashbacks but they play a key part in the future of the movie.
Joaquin Phoenix as Gibson’s younger brother and live-in-home-help is another good casting. He’s believable as a brother to Mel in the way he looks and, personally I think it’s Phoenix’s best acting outside of Gladiator.
Abigail Breslin steals the show though as the daughter of Gibson. At such a young age she really holds the role and the screen. She’s by far the best actor in the film.
The bad point of the movie is the ending, not the story part of it though, it’s the reveal of the creatures that lets it down. The CGI is by far some of the worst of modern day film. The small glimpses you get throughout the running time are extremely well conceived and there are many jumpy and mysterious moments too, but bad computerised effects shoot them down.
It’s sad really after such a fantastic build up.
All in all, though it’s a marmite film for movie goers, it’s still a relatively deep movie and has its fair share of jumps, sci-fi, mystery, comedy and tragedy and is Shayamalan’s best written work next to Unbreakable.
My rating 80%
An ex-priest who is now a farmer and his family, awake one morning to find that their cornfield has a crop circle.
As more and more unusual things happen around the local town and county, animals acting strangely and shadowy, fast moving and unseen figures sneaking around people’s properties, the family begins to realise that something isn’t right in the neighbourhood.
When odd lights appear in the night sky above major cities around the world, their worst nightmare and unbelievable truth dawns on them.
Shyamalan, using his usual techniques, magnificently pieces the simplistic story together using humour, shadows, bump-in-the-night-noises and slowly unveiled mystery.
It’s certainly one of his best works in terms of storytelling too, though, as I said, it’s simplistic, but the cast chosen for the film make it even more of a joy to watch and discover the strange goings on throughout.
Another good point of the film is the title: Signs. There are many subtle levels to the meaning of the word that are used throughout the film, the audience has to watch out for them all too which gives you a sense of participation.
As for the acting, Mel Gibson is extremely likeable as the ex-preacher. His backstory is pieced together in an ABC-123 set of flashbacks but they play a key part in the future of the movie.
Joaquin Phoenix as Gibson’s younger brother and live-in-home-help is another good casting. He’s believable as a brother to Mel in the way he looks and, personally I think it’s Phoenix’s best acting outside of Gladiator.
Abigail Breslin steals the show though as the daughter of Gibson. At such a young age she really holds the role and the screen. She’s by far the best actor in the film.
The bad point of the movie is the ending, not the story part of it though, it’s the reveal of the creatures that lets it down. The CGI is by far some of the worst of modern day film. The small glimpses you get throughout the running time are extremely well conceived and there are many jumpy and mysterious moments too, but bad computerised effects shoot them down.
It’s sad really after such a fantastic build up.
All in all, though it’s a marmite film for movie goers, it’s still a relatively deep movie and has its fair share of jumps, sci-fi, mystery, comedy and tragedy and is Shayamalan’s best written work next to Unbreakable.
My rating 80%
