A few days ago, Pitchfork ran a review of mash-up artist Girl Talk’s new album. It began:
As I was finishing an interview with Gregg Gillis in July 2006, he casually mentioned his desire to see M. Night Shyamalan’s just-released fantasy movie Lady in the Water. Given the film’s wretched reviews – a pitiful 24% on Rotten Tomatoes – and the train-wreck hype surrounding it, I thought he was kidding. He wasn’t; Gillis liked some of Shyamalan’s other flicks, so he wanted to check this one out. Simple. And it’s this omnivorous, pleasure-seeking attitude toward pop culture that defines his work as Girl Talk. (Luckily, his taste in music is superior to his taste in film.)
Ugh. I mention this because I think it reflects the popular thinking that has determined how Shyamalan’s films have been received since Signs. Yes, The Village was terrible, and yes, I skipped Lady in the Water, but The Happening, despite its ridiculous title and premise, is – like last year’s Cloverfield – a short, effective apocalyptic thriller. Of course, it has run up its very own embarrassing 18% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and the only reason I can see for that is that Shyamalan is just not “in” anymore. He’s been rejected by those who see themselves as taking film seriously. We can all just assume that if someone we trust expresses an interest in one of his movies, they are probably kidding. Right?
It’s not great. It’s even laughable at points. But The Happening is a step forward, the first step out of a rough patch for Shyamalan, who retains his gift for audience manipulation and quiet, sustained suspense.
by Teddy Blanks | Source: 20th Century Fox 35mm print
06 Jul 2008 3:14 AM | Comments (1)
Lady in the Water was one of the most bizarre and boring Hollywood movies I’ve ever seen: sort of like a week-long RPG tournament transcribed as a film script. That said, I’ve liked every other Shyamalan film I’ve seen, with reservations. The Village is really underrated, I think.
Evan
6 July 2008
10:32 AM