Monday

I approached The Happening with more sympathy than reviews of the movie suggested. I have found something to like in all of M. Night Shyamalan's films, even the widely panned Lady in the Water. I think of him as a classic film-maker, and The Happening is no exception. The film does have a bit of a B-movie feel about it (whether this was deliberate or not I don't know), and it is hard not to laugh at some parts, but this is what made me enjoy, not scorn, the picture. The actors take themselves very seriously in a bizarre situation that is never fully explained, but I liked it. For me, I couldn't help seeing parallels with Hitchcock's The Birds. Shyamalan has been criticised for his 'twist' endings, but these only really occur in two of his films, and even then I wouldn't think it's a bad thing for a director to have a style and stick to it. When you see a Shyamalan movie you get a good, well-wrought thriller. Being an optimist, I predict that after perhaps a few more mediocre films he will come back into the mainstream again with a great movie. So, The Happening is great for those of you that like Shyamalan, but be cautious if you're not sure about him.