A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Signs

Date Viewed: 8/24/02

Details:

Mel Gibson (Father Graham Hess)

Joaquin Phoenix (Merrill Hess)

Rory Culkin (Morgan Hess)

Abigail Breslin (Bo Hess)

Written & directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

Score: 1/2

The Review: There is an element of John Wyndam in this film: the story of what might be an alien invasion told through the eyes of a Bucks County farm family. (For those unfamiliar with Pennsylvania geography, this is Amish country, although Gibson's character is clearly not Amish.) Tense, carefully filmed, dark, a little scary and not a little disturbing.

Threaded through the plot is a family tragedy and a crisis of faith; while superficially these elements turn Gibson's Hess into a complex and conflicted figure, they detract from the narrative flow and are more jarring than anything. It seems forced; it doesn't work. Hess does show a wry sense of humor, especially when interacting with his children, and this serves to break the tension. Both as an actress and her character, Breslin steals many a scene as Bo, the young daughter with some curious insights and a peculiar habit of drinking water, but never all of it.

It is ultimately and finally disappointing, however. Signs delivers neither on the promise of its trailers nor of its director; in this way it is similar to Unbreakable. Watchable, yes, but it's not in the same league as The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan's earlier film. Sadly, all the best dialog has been encapsulated in the trailer. I wanted to like this film, was predisposed with significant interest, and went prepared to be enchanted -- all of which contributed to the let-down.

Minor nit-pick: To a crop-circle aficionado, the first artifact discovered "clearly" provides evidence for something paranormal, because there are no "tram lines" by which it could have been accessed and constructed by hoaxing humans; alas, this is uncommented upon.

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