For those of you who might have
momentarily taken your ear off the ground, Manoj Shyamalan’s new movie “Signs”
is the buzz-word among moviegoers of late. With Box office collections
surpassing 200 million dollars within a month of its release, it looks like
another Shyamalan project that will have Disney laughing all the way to the
bank. The movie’s success has the Indian born writer-director rapidly
escalating the Hollywood greasy pole to be touted the next Spielberg. Love it or
loathe it, one thing is for sure: Shyamalan’s film-making is undoubtedly
distinctive, albeit laden with soul searching supernatural themes and delivered
with almost angstful brooding.
To the Indian born reader of this forum, Shyamalan’s background maybe of some
interest. Gathered from various recent publications, it goes thus: born in
Pondicherry to physician parents, Shyamalan has lived in Philadelphia since
infancy. As a child, he apparently reveled in making up stories, began making
films at the age of 10 with his father’s 8mm camera, and by age 16, had made
45 short films. He was accepted to medical school but instead chose to attend
the Tisch School of Arts at New York University. His middle name Nelliote, was
traded in for the more media friendly “Night”, reflective of the darkness
that is prevalent in some of his work. Shyamalan’s
two initial ventures, Praying with Anger and Wide Awake in Philadelphia failed
to register commercially. Nevertheless,
they garnered sufficient recognition of his talent - Praying with Anger, shot in
Chennai, was named the Debut Film of the Year at the American Film Institute in
Los Angeles in 1993. His next project, a story apparently based on his own
childhood fears about ghosts evolved into the blockbuster “Sixth Sense”. The
rest, needless to say, is history.
Shyamalan’s latest film Signs, once again based on
his own script, embraces spirituality – a theme that probably springs from
his Indian background and one that will sit well with the average Asian viewer.
The central premise is inherently distracting but mercifully relegated to the
background. Instead, skillful acting and carefully created nuances has the
audience leaning forward intently: listening, watching, almost craving for the
next scene. For the weekend moviegoer, jaws will ache from the suspense and the
silence could be deafening. Aptly timed humorous quips offer some relief but
the movie keeps building up to the end. The end, in the end, is where Shyamalan
gets the last laugh. There is no payoff but a mere shrug of resignation in
recognition of the power of faith and family.
Graham Hess, played by Mel Gibson lives on the farm with his brother Merrill
(Joaquin Phoenix) and his children Morgan and Bo (Rory Culkin and Abigail
Breslin). There is an old-fashioned farmhouse and barn, and wide cornfields, and
from the very first shot there seems to be something strange out there. Dogs
bark and behave in an aberrant fashion, strange figures emerge on rooftops and
the wind howls incessantly. Hess
waits and observes in anxious anticipation. One night, he even catches a glimpse
of something in a cornfield. All is revealed
in good time even if not to the viewer’s satisfaction. Graham Hess is the
protective father to his naively brave kids, in a house filled with a deep and
resigned sadness (awaiting the end of the world?). Any more of this and I will
have given the critical pieces of the puzzle away. The story is best left for
the reader to unravel at the cinema. As
in the Sixth Sense, Shyamalan choreographs a limited but superb cast to dance to
his tune. It is good to see Mel Gibson abandoning the chest thumping rah-rah
image of his recent movies such as Braveheart and Patriot. Instead, this is a
more flawed, tortured, and sympathetic Gibson than we’ve seen in quite some
time. Joaquin Phoenix offers a
terrific supporting performance bringing the necessary touch of family devotion
and plain old common sense.
In these days of Hollywood movies crammed with ear shattering special
effects, and crass dialogues, Signs stands out like a crop sign in a cornfield,
meticulously crafted and distinctive; a welcome departure to the quiet days of
Hitchcock, drama, and suspense. While the purist may choose to dismiss Signs as
an X-Files pilot venture, to the average moviegoer, it can be a refreshing
throwback to old-fashioned cinema with emphasis on clean dialogue, polished
acting and masterful directing. As
for Shyamalan, his reliance on the supernatural theme is getting somewhat
tedious and he risks the danger of being typecast as such. I can only hope that
the man picks up on the signs to channel his talents toward the earthly issues
that vex the mere mortal.
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