Life is slowly improving and I should be back again in December! Yippee!!
Life is slowly improving and I should be back again in December! Yippee!!
Member since:23.08.2002
Reviews:53
Members who trust:56
Last Sunday, I took my son over to his Dad's house, and after a few hours dance practice, I was left with the luxury of free time! I worked a little while, then decided that there were a few films that I wanted to see, so now was the time to go and see them!
I did something that I have never done before. I decided to go to the cinema by myself. Unusual I know, but I really fancied a quiet relaxing evening by myself. So, I bought my ticket and armed with a large cup of diet coke and a tub of chocolate ice cream, I settled to down to watch Signs.
I have to admit, that I was unsure of what I would see. The idea of Mel Gibson in an alien invasion movie, was a little off the wall! He has performed in so many roles, from Mad Max to Ransom, Lethal Weapon to Braveheart, and none of them were in this genre. What on earth was this film going to be like?
The director, M Night Shyamalan filled me with hope. I adored the Sixth Sense and was totally freaked by Unbreakable! This guy seems to know how to get into your psyche without feeling the need to cover the screen with blood, guts and gore.
What I also found interesting, is that he has had a small role in all of these movies. In Unbreakable he was the stadium
drug dealer, in Sixth Sense he played Dr Hill and in Signs he played Ray Reddy, the local vet. He plays these roles very well.
So, what is the film about? It begins with farmer Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) waking up in the morning to find his two children, Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin), not in bed. After enlisting the help of his brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix), he finds them in the corn field, near corn circles flattened in the corn.
These corn circles are one of many found all over the world, and one of the first of a set of unusual events that happen to the Hess family. With the dogs going mad, strange people hiding around the house and odd creatures being seen in the corn, the film builds up the suspense, while showing the disbelief and the attempts of rationalisation by Graham and his family.
The story of how Graham lost his wife in a car accident is told in flash back, and his resulting loss of faith that made him give up being a priest. You learn about the oddities that each member of the family has and build up a picture of them all.
Rory Culkin (Morgan) was excellent. His character was believable and well acted. I was a little biased against him, as he is the brother of Macauley (Home Alone, etc.), but he is excellent. You found yourself rooting for his little character all the way.
Abigail Breslin as Bo, was adorable. Your reaction to her was that she was a cute little girl that you wanted to cuddle. Her little comments and strange obsession with leaving glasses of water everywhere make her all the more adorable. Everyone I know who has seen this film has commented on how gorgeous this little girl was.
Joaquin Phoenix played his character well. He showed the confusion and reaction of his character extremely well. He was a sort of hybrid between the children and their reactions and the attempt by Graham to rationalise and explain away what was happening. I found parallels between this character and the Emperor he played in Gladiator, but this character is much more likable. Joaquin Phoenix seems to be excellent at playing characters in emotionally difficult situations and showing the unusual way that people react to stress situations.
I found that this film spoke to me on so many different levels. You can watch the comparison between the international, large scale crisis and the personal crisis that the family is already going through. How do you consolidate your personal loss with the possibility that the world is going to end?
There is also this series of coincidences that have happened, where events that seemed bad at the time turned out to have some great significance, like his wifes last words. Personal strengths, weaknesses and traits all are found to be necessary to save the family. You see the miracle of survival on an international scale and on an individual scale.
I found that the film pointed out all that was wonderful about each individual. How each of us is special, with different gifts with which to contribute to life. That all of our gifts are special and are there for a reason.
I found this film so different from previous alien invasion films. The story didn't focus on the people who helped to save the planet, it focused on the survival of one small family and how they all helped each other to survive.
I was totally convinced of the love that this family had for each other. Mel Gibson obviously had a good relationship with the child actors and this showed through. I was totally convinced of his feelings for these children.
The soundtrack was rather unmemorable. No song sticks in my mind, but the incidental music really made you react to the events happening. I jumped and felt frightened with the characters!
This film has been criticized in the US for being too religious. I don't agree. The film was not about religion, it was about faith and love. For me, this film was about love, hope and the belief that we all have something wonderful to give. It is about the belief that there is a reason behind everything that happens, it can just be difficult to find sometimes.
Be prepared for all the buttons that govern your emotions to be pressed. Be prepared to see so much in this film, that you can either just enjoy it, or spend days thinking about what it showed you and what it was trying to say.
Highly recommended.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Francis Lawrence - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Francis Lawrence - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Willow Smith, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Charlie Tahan, Salli Richardson, Alice Braga
i loved this film too! Found it pretty scary...i'm such a wimp! Especially the bit where the alien is at that kids party...oohhh, gives me the creeps. Good op, Lucy x
rayliu 07.11.2002 17:46
I must admit on first view, I didnt like this that much, especially the ending, but on seeing it for the second time and after some discussions with mates about it, it seemed a lot better once you could accept it for what it was. I think a lot of people got fooled into thinking it gave you the answer of what crop circles were about and then a full scale alien invasion movie. Regards, Ray
andrew007 25.10.2002 12:41
great film,bit of a bad ending but overall it was brilliant.
great op thanks
From M. Night Shyamalan, the writer/director of The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, comes the ... more
story of the Hess family in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, who wake up one morning to find a 500-foot crop circle in their backyard. Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) and hi...
Director-writer M Night Shyamalan brings his distinctive, oblique approach to aliens ... more
inSignsafter tackling ghosts (The Sixth Sense) and superheroes (Unbreakable). With Mel Gibson replacing Bruce Willis as the traditional Shyamalan hero--a family man tr...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Director-writer M Night Shyamalan brings his distinctive, oblique approach to aliens ... more
inSignsafter tackling ghosts (The Sixth Sense) and superheroes (Unbreakable). With Mel Gibson replacing Bruce Willis as the traditional Shyamalan hero--a family man tr...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
From M. Night Shyamalan the gifted writer/director of The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable ... more
comes the story of the Hess family in Bucks County Pennsylvania who wake up one morning to find a 500 foot crop circle in their backyard. Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) a...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: Masterful direction and story telling, Jump out of your seats moments, The chilling score, Humour Disadvantages: The ending may not appeal to everyone, Slow Pace (again)
rayliu 17.09.2002 (17.09.2002)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Signs (DVD)
Advantages: Very absorbing, suspenseful, Good performances Disadvantages: The ending (somewhat anti-climactic and the visuals of the aliens), a bit too 'Hollywood' perhaps
IzzyS 15.01.2008 (15.01.2008)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Signs (DVD)
Advantages: Makes you think...and keep on thinking for ages afterwards, it has Mr Gibson in it, superb directing Disadvantages: A bit scary to be rated 12 - and all that thinking made my brain hurt
Collingwood21 12.10.2002 (12.10.2002)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Signs (DVD)
![Signs [DTS] [DVD] [2002]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/76771759.jpg "Signs [DTS] [DVD] [2002]")
Oct 22nd, 2002
very helpful by (100%):
