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The Happening (2008)
The World Fights Back
Directed By: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, & John Leguizamo
MPAA Rating: “R” (for violent and disturbing images)
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, & John Leguizamo
MPAA Rating: “R” (for violent and disturbing images)
M. Night Shyamalan began his career on a pedestal with The Sixth Sense and, though he remained on solid ground with such films as Signs and Unbreakable, he faltered with The Village and drove his career clean off of a cliff with Lady in the Water. Now, he is trying to revive himself with The Happening, his first R-rated film (you probably knew this because it is stated in nearly every commercial). For the film, he again collected a wonderful cast of talented stars led by Mark Wahlberg and featuring Zooey Deschanel and John Leguizamo. He again keeps many plot points under wraps, no doubt hoping that mystery alone can get butts in seats. He doesn’t need to worry about that. The box-office results are in and Shyamalan has finally made another financially-successful movie. The only question is this: is it any good?
Elliot Moore (Wahlberg) is a science teacher in Philadelphia who is taken by surprise when his class is interrupted by the principal who tells him that there was a terrorist attack on Central Park. Elliot immediately heads home to his wife Alma (Deschanel) who has also learned of the attack via the news. They are your typical horror movie couple; they are having trouble, but we all know that, live or die, their problems will be rectified by the final credits. We also meet Julian (Leguizamo, not like himself), a math teacher at Elliot’s school. Julian has a young daughter, Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez), and a wife, but we never meet her. When they all head off together in hopes of waiting out the turmoil brought on by the attack, they soon find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere and forced to endure the happening.
One thing that can always be said about M. Night Shyamalan is that he is a good director with an eerie visual style. Never before have I seen construction workers leaping to their deaths look so beautiful. The Happening is a visually-arresting film that displays his directing talent well. I must also give him props for maintaining a level of mystery in the advertising and yet not relying on yet another twist ending for the film. The Happening is far too subtle for some big revelation to seem fluid. Shyamalan also does well by providing a unique perspective of what seems to be the apocalypse. He never films anything that remotely resembles hundreds of people desperately trying to escape Philadelphia, instead focusing on the internal turmoil that one must go through when his or her life is thrown into a state of disarray.
The Happening is also entertaining almost constantly. Though it does have times where the plot slows, they feel necessary. Our characters need time to reflect and the film is very keen on self-reflection. However, it must be said that Shyamalan really fails when it comes to writing realistic dialog and creating solid relationships. I just didn’t feel like any of these characters were very real. The chemistry between Wahlberg and Deschanel is practically nonexistent and Shyamalan does nothing to help that with the dialog between the two of them. Some of the acting is also quite questionable. Even the usually wonderful Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel do not achieve their maximum potential here. Still, after nearly two months of big-budget explosions and superheroes, it is nice to take a breather and enjoy a more introspective film. It may not be a complete return to his pedestal, but for Shyamalan it is a step in the right direction.
Elliot Moore (Wahlberg) is a science teacher in Philadelphia who is taken by surprise when his class is interrupted by the principal who tells him that there was a terrorist attack on Central Park. Elliot immediately heads home to his wife Alma (Deschanel) who has also learned of the attack via the news. They are your typical horror movie couple; they are having trouble, but we all know that, live or die, their problems will be rectified by the final credits. We also meet Julian (Leguizamo, not like himself), a math teacher at Elliot’s school. Julian has a young daughter, Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez), and a wife, but we never meet her. When they all head off together in hopes of waiting out the turmoil brought on by the attack, they soon find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere and forced to endure the happening.
One thing that can always be said about M. Night Shyamalan is that he is a good director with an eerie visual style. Never before have I seen construction workers leaping to their deaths look so beautiful. The Happening is a visually-arresting film that displays his directing talent well. I must also give him props for maintaining a level of mystery in the advertising and yet not relying on yet another twist ending for the film. The Happening is far too subtle for some big revelation to seem fluid. Shyamalan also does well by providing a unique perspective of what seems to be the apocalypse. He never films anything that remotely resembles hundreds of people desperately trying to escape Philadelphia, instead focusing on the internal turmoil that one must go through when his or her life is thrown into a state of disarray.
The Happening is also entertaining almost constantly. Though it does have times where the plot slows, they feel necessary. Our characters need time to reflect and the film is very keen on self-reflection. However, it must be said that Shyamalan really fails when it comes to writing realistic dialog and creating solid relationships. I just didn’t feel like any of these characters were very real. The chemistry between Wahlberg and Deschanel is practically nonexistent and Shyamalan does nothing to help that with the dialog between the two of them. Some of the acting is also quite questionable. Even the usually wonderful Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel do not achieve their maximum potential here. Still, after nearly two months of big-budget explosions and superheroes, it is nice to take a breather and enjoy a more introspective film. It may not be a complete return to his pedestal, but for Shyamalan it is a step in the right direction.
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