| BOTTOM LINE: M. Night Shayamalan regains his | | | | brilliant concept but a screenplay and plot that just |
| directorial feet a little bit with this cautionary tale | | | | meanders from one point to the next without |
| of the environment turning on humans, but at the | | | | any real structure (hint Night, get a script writer). |
| end of the day this film confirms he's a one-trick | | | | There are a number of scenes in this film that |
| pony with an extremely narrow vision who can't | | | | just don't go anywhere or amount to anything; |
| seem to get past his ego by letting someone else | | | | take Alma's (Zooey Deschanel) secret which turns |
| write better scripts for him or to get even | | | | out to be she went for dessert with a guy at the |
| half-decent performances from his cast. | | | | office without telling Elliot (Mark Wahlberg). His |
| THE GOOD: We're living in a world that has | | | | response is to make a sarcastic story about how |
| become acutely aware of issues such as global | | | | he deliberately bought cough medicine for no |
| warming and greenhouse gas emissions. With "The | | | | reason so he could talk to a cute pharmacist. It's |
| Happening", the latest offering from M. Night | | | | dreadful and given the apocalyptic nature of the |
| Shyamalan, who manages to right his directorial | | | | story it's completely out of place. Then there's |
| ship a little bit in this film after some truly woeful | | | | the whole sequence with the old mad loner at the |
| films, puts forward the concept of the | | | | end. The idea of someone shutting themselves |
| environment starting to attack humans for the | | | | off to the world to be with nature works well in |
| way we've all treated it. Fantastic idea, particularly | | | | the frame work of the idea, but the delivery is |
| with the notion that the plants start releasing a | | | | absolutely terrible, particularly as she ends up as |
| chemical which affects the neurological impulses in | | | | one of the victims. The performances across the |
| human brains, causing them to harm themselves. | | | | board are absolutely terrible, and not because the |
| Quite a number of scenes in this film are very | | | | cast selected were bad. It's all Shyamalan's |
| chilling; in the opening scenes in New York a group | | | | misguided (I'm being polite here) direction. Marky |
| of workers having a break on a construction site | | | | Mark Wahlberg can be good with the right |
| see they're co-workers walking off the top of the | | | | director but this is hands down one of the most |
| construction site to their deaths on the street. Or | | | | embarrassing performances you're likely to see, |
| there's the image of people hanging dead from | | | | largely due to the high-pitched whiney tone he |
| trees when a group of characters drive through a | | | | takes and the woeful dialogue he's given to |
| deserted town. Very eerie and disturbing (this is | | | | deliver. Zooey Deschanel doesn't fare much |
| Night's first non-PG feature). Aside from the | | | | better, looking like a deer in headlights for most |
| obvious environmental themes, there's also some | | | | of the film. Then there's the title, "The Happening". |
| exploration of human behaviour and the way we | | | | I don't think 'happening' is a noun, and it makes for |
| treat each other in a crisis (echoing scenes from | | | | some very gimmicky dialogue, like "is this really |
| Spielberg's War Of The Worlds). The film scores | | | | happening?" Oh my God!!!! In the end, this film is an |
| points for its topical themes and warnings, as well | | | | embarrassing mess. Maybe not as bad as his |
| as Shyamalan's ability to make the environmental | | | | previous two efforts, but it's a mess any way, |
| world come alive and feel threatening, like a | | | | begging the question whether or not Shyamalan |
| predator hunting its prey in the humans. | | | | really has the humility and self-awareness to listen |
| THE BAD: Where do you begin? Shyamalan clearly | | | | to others, and by extension, to have what it |
| has some talent as director because even in his | | | | takes to be a great director. Oh well, at least in |
| worst films you can see little flashes of brilliance | | | | this film he doesn't inflict on us a pathetic twist |
| here and there, but the problem is he just can't | | | | ending to make him look like a clever |
| seem to get over his own self-importance. As a | | | | screenwriter. |
| result, this film, just like his last few films, has a | | | | |