Film: The Happening

So despite all the warning signs I went to see The Happening last weekend. And now I know why I was warned against it.

The Happening is not all bad. It is shot beautifully, which I assume is thanks in no small part to Tak Fujimoto, the film's Director of Photography. Why do I give him the credit? Because he was also responsible for the cinematography of Silence of the Lambs, as well as M. Night Syamalan's earlier films The Sixth Sense and Signs.

The score is also beautiful. It builds tension and sets the mood for the film.

Unfortunately, all this is undone by the film itself. I was disappointed with the acting, and to a much greater extent the script itself. The premise of the film, a mysterious virus which makes people commit suicide, is brilliant. Unfortunately, a good premise alone can't save this film.

I don't know what happened to M. Night Shyamalan, but the real horror of this film is how bad it is. It's funny for all the wrong reasons (with a few exceptions) and is delivered in a completely unbelievable manner. This may be the acting, the direction or just the dialogue, but 90% of this film just didn't work.

Want an example? People are going batshit in the North Eastern United States. You are in the North Eastern United States. You hear gunshots nearby. What do you do?

Maybe you run away? No. Panic? No. Stand around and discuss whether or not to go back and try and help the people who are killing each other/themselves? Yeah. That sounds about right. And suddenly we realize that the real crazies are our protagonists.

My personal favourite though, was when Marky Mark took a cell phone from a distraught woman, listens to the phone and then states, "I hear wind from outside." Wind from outside? Really? You can tell that from listening to a cell phone? Just intuit it?

The film is ridiculous. The premise is brilliant and chilling. But the delivery is stilted, forced, weird and just... bad. I don't know what else to say about it. It felt like a B movie with an A budget. Except it wasn't so bad it was good. It was just 'so bad'.

1/3 - Don't go. But if you do see it, keep an eye open for Brian O'Halloran of Clerks fame. About a minute after you spot him, you've pretty much seen all that's worth seeing in this film.