M. Night Shyamalan’s (Lady in the Water) films may have decreased in quality since The Sixth Sense, but Lady in the Water represented a new low for the Philadelphia-based filmmaker. It was narcissistic – Shyamalan cast himself as a writer whose work would change the world – and self-indulgent. The story was convoluted nonsense.
When the menacing, ominous trailers for The Happening first appeared, it seemed Shyamalan was back to what he did best: creeping audiences out. Alas, it was not to be.
The Happening’s story is vintage Shyamalan – in other words, it’s Signs with some minor alterations. There’s a massive disaster afoot. People are killing themselves off for no reason. Science teacher Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg, We Own the Night) leaves the rapidly deteriorating situations in the city and heads for the countryside, all the while dealing with his fragile relationship with wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel, Surf’s Up). Issues of faith are considered and relationships are strengthened through crisis.
The first 20 minutes or so of The Happening constitute the start of a good Shyamalan movie, up there with his top efforts. As construction workers plunge off buildings, people stab themselves in the park, and so on, Shyamalan is at his best. The direction is creative and effective and manifests a real sense of dread. One can’t help but wonder if Shyamalan wrote the film with these scenes in mind. They’re the only ones to really make an impact.
But the story withers away once the Moores leave the city. There are a number of basic problems Shyamalan is unable to deal with.
First is the lack of any visual antagonist. The “bad guy” is the wind, and it can’t help but play somewhat silly as Shyamalan keeps cutting to shots of grass swaying. The inherent silliness isn’t helped when, in a misguided attempt at humor, Shyamalan has Wahlberg talk to a potted plant. Unlike Signs, whose humor was effective as tension relief, the jokes in The Happening seem awkward and somewhat forced.
There’s also the matter of some poor casting. Wahlberg gives it a noble try, but he plays Elliot Moore as a softie, his voice gentle, high-pitched and sensitive. Wahlberg isn’t a natural in the sensitive guy department (see every other movie he has ever done, such as The Departed and Four Brothers). And Deschanel is trapped in an inappropriately comic groove as Alma, so her dramatic impact is minimal.
What was Shyamalan thinking? This question may be asked by many audience members (it likely was at the screening this reviewer attended, where the film’s ending was greeted with a wave of boos). The ending is missing any of Shyamalan’s usual theatrics, though it does attempt to provide a compelling love story.
But Shyamalan keeps the stakes low; the only problem Elliot and Alma have is that she is somewhat disinterested in their relationship and went out for dessert (tiramisu!) with another man. The journey back to love isn’t exactly epic.
Shyamalan has, maybe, half an hour of a good movie and smatterings of inspiration for the remaining 60 minutes. Take, for example, a minor scene in a house in the countryside, where an old lady (Betty Buckley, Law & Order: SVU) pursues Wahlberg. It’s a simple scene, yes, but Shyamalan directs it with such skill that it is extremely tense. He leaves just enough outside the frame to keep the viewer uncomfortable.
Career-wise, Shyamalan has been leaving just enough in the frame to sustain some hope that he has another great film in him. Lady in the Water had a few nice humanistic touches that suggested a great writer of characters; The Happening has some visuals showcasing a director who hasn’t lost the ability to frighten.
Though Shyamalan has maintained rare creative control over his films until now, his dwindling box office receipts may put his authority in jeopardy. And maybe this is a good thing. With a co-writer who stresses logic and narrative coherence and keeps Shyamalan away from some of his sillier ideas, Shyamalan could really fulfill his potential.
Until Shyamalan either comes to his senses or agrees to collaborate, he just does not have enough happening to deliver the complete package.
dan.benamor@gmail.com
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars