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September 9, 2008
Signs (2002)
Should I see it?
Yes.


Short Review: A quiet and inspired film. It is like The 6th Sense but with more annoying children.

Signs

For the most part, this is a good film. It is a study in how to patiently unfold a story and its characters. It is certainly refreshing to see a movie where the filmmaker knows that solid scenes don’t need to be rushed. M. Night Shamalamadingdong handles most of the film with a delicate hand and gently presents the horror of the alien invasion without becoming overbearing (until the end of the film.)

I have great appreciated the sound design. It would have been easy to make the aliens growling, violent creatures. M. Night Snuffleupagus’ genius in this film was making them so silent. Quiet horror is unsettling horror. Have you have wakened from a dead sleep thinking you’ve heard something in your house? Have you ever thought someone had broken in? This film plays on that terrified listening we fall into when we try to discern if there is a menace that we cannot see.

The ending of the film is weak, it's Michael Jackson in competitive arm wrestling weak. It wraps up too nicely and too conveniently. The ending wouldn't have lost anything if M. Night Shyma-something-or-another, stopped the action, stepped into the shot and simply said "and everyone lives happily ever after". I understand the point M. Night Sha-Na-Na was attempting to make, I just feel he could have done it less forcefully.

Overall, good film. If you haven’t seen it yet, do. Well worth the rental price.


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posted by Michelle Obama's Left Nut at 9:00 AM




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2 Comments:

Anonymous Jeff Burton said...

You've got to be kidding.

September 9, 2008 at 10:42 AM  
Anonymous Ray Fowler said...

Well, I didn't enjoy Signs so much, but I got a kick out of your review. Shamalamadingdong - yeah!

September 9, 2008 at 2:04 PM  

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