This latest movie by the redoubtable Mr. Shyamalan is being ripped to shreds. Seems Hollywood's former golden boy earns nothing but disgust and disdain nowadays. Say what you will about this guy, his movies are DIFFERENT. He does not follow the all-too-standardized templates, prevalent in every genre from action to horror to sci-fi. Are his films flawed and uneven at times? Yes, every single one has been. They all have this in common.
They also have in common uncommon storytelling, fantastic mood, appropriately chilling scores, and engender a sense of unease in the viewer that almost no other filmmaker has been capable of.
Were there mistakes in the plot, character development, editing? Yeah. And you know what? Nonetheless, I was enthralled. This man imbues his films, however flawed, with passion, something lacking in most big-budget summer blockbusters. Whatever his technical shortcomings, this is a filmmaker who truly loves to tell a story. Golden Boy status-worthy or not, I applaud Shyamalan and his latest movie. The man has got the cojones to think originally and make movies that no one else could, or would. "The Happening" rocks! -MKA, Ft Walton Beach, FL
