The Happening

Buy This Item The Happening by 20th Century Fox  Available from Amazon  $19.99  on 11-14-2008     You'd expect the end of the world to be no day in the park, but in M. Night Shyamalan's <i>The Happening</i>, a day in the park is where the end begins. One otherwise peaceful summer morning, New Yorkers strolling in Central Park come to a halt in unison, then begin killing themselves by any means at hand. At a high-rise construction site a few blocks over, it's raining bodies as workers step off girders into space. And all the while, the city is so quiet you can hear the gentle breeze in the trees. That breeze carries a neurotoxin, and what or who put it there (terrorists?) is a question raised periodically as the film unfolds. But the question that really matters is how and whether anybody in the Middle Atlantic states is going to stay alive. <p> <i>The Happening</i> is Shyamalan's best film since <i>The Sixth Sense</i>, partly because he avoids the kind of egregious misjudgment that derailed <i>The Village</i> and <i>Lady in the Water</i>, but mostly because the whole thing has been structured and imagined to keep faith with the point of view of regular, unheroic folks confronted with a mammoth crisis. Focal characters are a Philadelphia high-school science teacher (Mark Wahlberg, excellent), his wife (Zooey Deschanel) and math-teacher colleague (John Leguizamo), and the latter’s little girl (Ashlyn Sanchez). Instinct says get out of the cities and move west; most of the film takes place in the delicately picturesque Pennsylvania countryside, with menace hovering somewhere in the haze. There are no special effects (apart from a wind machine and some breakaway glass), but the movie manages to be deeply unsettling in the matter-of-factness of its storytelling. Especially effective is its feel for what we might call the surrealism of banality. One warning sign that someone has been infected by the neurotoxin is irrational or erratic speech and behavior, yet Shyamalan has a genius for dialogue that sounds normal and everyday as it's spoken, yet flies apart grenade-like a second later as its logic (or illogic) sinks in. Then there's Deschanel's eye-rolling dodginess about the messages some guy has been leaving on her cellphone. Or the fellow (Frank Collis) who addresses his greenhouse plants as though they were his children--has a stray toxic zephyr wafted his way, or is this just his idea of normal? <i>--Richard T. Jameson</i> Reader Reviews The Happening is a solid effort from M. Night Shyamalan. It is not his best work, but does cover new ground creatively. I was honestly disappointed that he chose to make an R-rated film. After seeing it, I have to agree that the R rating was necessary to the story. This movie is not meant to be another The Sixth Sense. It is supposed to be a stait forward thriller/horror film. M. Night has never attempted to hide the fact that he idolizes Alfred Hitchcock. This movie absolutely delivers in accordance with that tradition. Mr. Hitchcock would be proud if he saw this movie. If you liked The Birds you will probably like The Happening. It makes you twitch, wince, and jump - all earmarks of a good scary movie. The most common error I see among those who dislike Night's recent films, is that they compare them to The Sixth Sense and Signs (two very different movies by the way). I think Night has decided to do what he wants to do. He is an artist. If his career is ended, at least no one can accuse him of playing it safe. My guess is that people who frequently criticize Night movies are about as deep as a shallow bath tub. His movies go right over their heads. They prefer popcorn flicks where there is nothing to contemplate, and always a pretty ending. They probably thought the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie was good! Shyamalan is not without his flaws. By no means do I see his films as perfect. But they are in a different league than most Hollywood drivel. The fact that he is largely unappreciated makes me like him even more. Bravo Mr. Shyamalan! Thanks for not allowing me to lose all faith in all Hollywood movies. There is still some creativity out there that doesn't include tons of CGI. I can't wait for your next film!

The Happening Available from Amazon Price: $19.99 Updated on 11-14-2008.

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