Sign Of The Times
 Oct 11th, 2002
Advantages:
Suspense, Acting, Direction, Visuals - Terrific entertainment .
Disadvantages:
None
Recommendable:
Yes
Detailed rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Story
Characters / Performances
Special Effects
How does it compare to similar films?
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  WormThatTurned
About me:
I never forget a face but in your case I think I'll make an exception :)
Member since:31.08.2002
Reviews:150
Members who trust:151
Review rated by 52 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
The first time I saw the trailer for this film, I thought to myself that I had to see it. It looked just the sort of film which would appeal to me. However after reading several opinions on here, including some by well respected writers, I had second thoughts. It wasn't exactly receiving rave reviews and looked as though it could be a big let down. But on the other hand I don't always like films which are raved about like 'Insomnia' and 'Beautiful Mind' to name but two. So I was glad, when I finally did get round to watching the film, that I wasn't put off because the film entertained me like no other has this year. I like watching the odd movie and usually catch around two or three a month. Don't get me wrong, I like watching movies but I'm no great film buff and wouldn't know one directors work from another. So although I know this film is by the acclaimed director M.Night Shylaman who gave us 'The Sixth Sense', my opinion on it is completely not influenced by that fact.
So lets check out the cast; Mel Gibson (Graham Hess)
Joaquim Phoenix (Merrill Hess)
Rory Culkin (Morgan Hess)
Abigail Breslin (Bo Hess)
Cherry Jones (Woman Police Officer)
and the plot; Set in Bucks County, Pensylvannia, farmer Graham Hess is awoken one morning by noises - his children screaming and his dogs barking wildly. He runs into his cornfield to find that mysterious circles have appeared but with no clues as to what caused them. He calls the local enforcement officer who cannot explain their appearance and he puts them down to pranksters. However strange things start to happen like a figure appearing
on his roof and running round the outside of his house with the athleticism of an olympic athlete and the kids baby monitor tuning into a strange frequency where weird noises can be heard. Graham at first refuses to believe anything is going on and scalds his kids and brother Merrill who seem to be swept along with the 'goings-on' as seemingly does the whole town but gradually he realises through the 'Signs' that something is at work, something is going to happen, something is coming !!
The thing that this film does particulary well is that it homes in on this family and this family alone thus creating a great relationship between audience and characters. Graham is a man suffering at the recent loss of his wife, killed in a road accident, we see his grief, we see his doubts and we see his broken heart. A particulary touching scene is when he is asked by his young daughter why he speaks to his late wife and her mother and whether she speaks back to him. The audience feel pity for Graham Hess and his family. Merrill his younger brother has recently moved to the farm to help with the kids and is also a lovable character. He clearly has a good relationship with his brother and the two kids and you sense that he really looks up to Graham on a personal level, maybe something to do with the fact that he himself was a failed baseball player and who now works at a gas station. Another touching moment of the film was a conversation between the brothers when they were talking about whether they were prepared for what was going to happen to them. Morgan and Bo, Graham's son and daughter also offer plenty to the film, they add several moments of humour which lightened the mood more than once but at the same time they appear vulnerable. They lack their motherly love and yearn for more of their fathers attention as he seems to be still struggling with his wifes loss. I liked the scenes where Graham calms his two children by telling them how he and his wife felt when they were born - the looks on their faces were very moving. Although what is happening to this family is not confined to them, we only witness what is happening from their perspective therefore the character building is exceptional. The family and the audience can see other events happening on the TV screen but only in fleeting glimpses or passing shots, so suspense rises to very high levels !
Reference is given to the 'visitors' throughout the film but with clever camera work, the audience is kept in the dark until the climax of the film arrives. Shapes slip quietly into the corn and shadowy figures disappear even quicker than they appeared therefore not too much is revealed to the audience to spoil later events. This definately helps the atmosphere which at times is edge of the seat stuff and the suspense which is as good as any film I've ever watched. I have seen comments on here that claimed the film predictable but on the contrary, I found it unpredictable and it captured my imagination until the end. The sound of the film was well directed and genuinely helped the overall atmosphere, at times I was genuinely scared. My favourite moment of the film was in the basement towards the end when Graham holding his son, struggling with asthma in his arms, was equally struggling with his belief in god as he tried to help his son overcome an attack.
The finale of the film ties in several moments of the film previously witnessed and Graham has to remember the 'Signs' to pull his family through !! A film that will have you thinking about the events of the film and their relevance long after the credits have gone up. I love these type of films, I dont know about you!
So how did the acting fare ? I havn't seen Mel Gibson in a role like this since 'A Man Without A Face', and at first glance he doesn't appear the ideal candidate but he's an actor who has matured with age. He's come a long way since 'Mad Max' ! I think he acted the role well and in particular had excellent chemistry with Phoenix who played his brother. He was believable and heart tugging and I was very impressed with his performance.
I was equally impressed with Joaquim Phoenix who I've only seen before in Gladiator. As already stated he had excellent chemistry with the lead actor and he went well with the kids too. An emerging and engaging actor who looks likely to excel for sometime to come. I for one hated all Macauley Culkin films and thought we'd seen the last of him and perhaps we have but oh no theres another one - Rory Culkin, a younger version who looks exactly the same. I shuddered when I saw his face but to his credit he won me over. He produced an excellent performance and looks likely to be more to the fore in the future. I only hope he stays to serious acting work and doesn't follow the idiotic films his brother starred in.
Abigail Breslin who played the little girl was the typical, typecast little sweetie who plays on the audiences emotions and she did a good job. I've never heard of her before but she's really cute and seemed a good choice. So overall then ?
I would recommend this film to anyone and everyone, It has a bit of humour and a few sad moments plus an incredible building atmosphere which leads to a suspenseful finale which will have you biting your fingernails. It has excellent direction, visuals, sound and the acting is of the highest order. For me I cannot rate it high enough, the best film of 2002 so far.
Director; M.Night Shalaman
Certificate; 12A
Film length; 106 minutes Rating; 10/10
Thanks for reading
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22.06.2003 20:54
This is one of my favorite movies, not because of the aliens, the suspence or whatever, but the moral, damn, that's a good one. Everything happens for a reason, and they showed that in a perfect way, all those little things(water) turned out to be an important thing. that's the reason why I love this film
20.04.2003 12:58
This film was a big disappointment given all the hype and raving reviews. It was quite good, but not as tense or scary as I was expecting at all
11.02.2003 13:33
Excellent review. I agree that this film had some great points (directing, suspense, acting) but I think it also had too many flaws to be a really good film.