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The Happening (2008)
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Movie review
From Time Out London
M Night Shyamalan’s mix of modern ecological fable and ’50s sci-fi paranoia is not a happening thing. At first, a great deal happens, then nothing much happens for quite some time, then something so underwhelming happens that one is left wondering, ‘Did that really just happen?’Since the surprise success of ‘The Sixth Sense’, Shyamalan’s ambitious but increasingly frustrating films (‘Unbreakable’, ‘Signs’, ‘The Village’) have been all build-up and no pay-off. ‘The Happening’, likewise, has lots of clever cinematic sleight of hand but no actual magic trick.
Philadelphia high school teacher Elliott Moore (Mark Wahlberg) is quizzing his students about the mysterious disappearance of millions of honey bees, when reports start emerging of a possible terrorist attack on New York’s Central Park. Together with his wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel), fellow teacher Julian (John Leguizamo) and Julian’s 8-year-old daughter Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez), Elliott flees the city on a train. But it stops at a tiny rural station: ‘We’ve lost contact,’ explains the guard. ‘With everyone.’
Vague, speculative news reports now suggest that an invisible, airborne ‘natural compound’ has induced mass suicides in densely populated areas. Does our ecological abuse of the planet have a nasty sting in the tail? Have plants instigated a targeted, coordinated attack on their number one enemy?
John Leguizamo suggests that Shyamalan’s ‘fanciful nightmares’ reflect the post-9/11 fear that something world-shattering might happen at any moment. Witness the shocking scene that echoes newsreel images of people jumping from the stricken Twin Towers. Sadly, for all his ill-focused Revenge of Nature eco-babble, Shyamalan lacks the courage of his apocalyptic convictions, so the film’s flabby (anti)climactic scenes are a virtual re-run of ‘Signs’, in which an external threat re-cements fragile familial bonds.
Author: Nigel Floyd
Time Out London
User reviews of this film
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- ed the ball said...
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Posted on Jun 16 2008 11:27
As usual SHYAMALAN has come up with a terrific conceit but then doesn't know what to do with it. He did exactly the same thing in SIGNS and to a lesser degree UNBREAKABLE.
It's innovative enough to keep you watching though and the "idea" would seem to make sense applied to our world.
Nothing ever quite creeps you out or moves you as much as the stunning opening sequence on an NYC buliding site. A future classic horror sequence I think.
Don't want to add any spoilers but I will say that this flounders and ultimately peters out towards the end.
Not SHYMALAN's worst, I wasn;t a fan of either SIGNS or LADY IN THE LAKE. But neother is this is his best. It's frustrationg because it damn well near could have been. At times, it is!
It's HAPPENING for the first hour then.... it's more like THE SHAMBLING.... - Report as inappropriate
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- usman said...
- Posted on Jun 16 2008 10:42 honestly this is miles better than lady in water and what exactly did you expect anyway -BIRDS by hitchcock,i am sure no one can do that eco -disaster today ,this is mediocre and it is in line with the present cinematic trends -anyway it has made it commercially and mojo rating is c+,also NYT readers forum has it at 3 stars -so that means the yanks like it -so shyamalan is safe .yes i agree it is full of flaws but so is indie 4
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- Don said...
- Posted on Jun 16 2008 05:47 Totally worthless film. Don't go. Save your money. One of the worst movies I have ever seen in my entire life--and I was looking forward to seeing it. Totally, absolutely worhtless. Any way I can get a refund? I didn't think so.
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- Alison said...
- Posted on Jun 15 2008 20:28 Don't waste your time and money going to see this film - if your could call it a film!! It is the crappiest film ever there is no story, no acting I don't know how it got into the cinema - well it won't be there long. Anyone who watched this rubbish should be entitled to their money back under the Trade Descriptions Act and also misleading advertising.
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- Mudger said...
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Posted on Jun 15 2008 19:31
It loses a star straightaway for the boom mike being in shot in one scene. But enough of that.
I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and it engaged me from the opening to the closing credits. (In this way, The Hulk, for example, is the antithesis of this film, but equally entertaining).
Despite the quite obvious references to the tragedy of 9/11 with the opening scenes of workmen jumping from the roof of a tall building, whatever was 'Happening' was not going to be a chemical attack instigated by terrorists.
I saw the film, as a whole, being a vehicle that through shock tactics underlined the ideal of 'lov(ing) thy neighbour' - be that neighbour your child, wife, other countries around the world or indeed the environment in which we live. In beginning with the final scene (so to speak) where Alma asks Elliot what colour 'love' is, he cannot say. My take on this is that the one thing that is vital to the development and survival of the human race – love - is in itself not tangible, and cannot be qualified.
This theory permeates the film throughout. The workmen rushing to help their colleague who throws himself from the building. The intent with which Julian asks Alma to care for Jess. The 'hospitality' of the old lady in her house and the final scenes of the film where Elliot and Alma realise they are to be a couple.
If my above mentioned 'take' on the film is believed, I think this goes a long way to explaining why the 'Happening' is invisible, and that it is referred to as a 'naturally occurring phenomena' in the film.
Another thought provoking film from M Night Shyamalan – a triumph if for no other reason than thorough the discussion as to it's meaning that has already ensued.
Anyway, I enjoyed it, and at the end of the day, is that not the reason that we go to the cinema? - Report as inappropriate
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- Rob said...
- Posted on Jun 15 2008 14:55 thanks danielle, you just spoilt the whole point of this shitty film for me. could have give a warning you were gonna say whats behind it all ...
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- Partner and I said...
- Posted on Jun 15 2008 14:41 We give this movie 1 star because zero is treated as unrated. We recently rented the movie Bug, which we thought was the worst film we had ever seen but boy were we wrong. This non-happening film has by far the most stupid plotline ever created, we were laughing at what can only be described as utter rubbish. It's so so bad that I was actually wishing for the main characters to die. Wahlberg's act was terrible, what was he thinking whilst doing this film? I agree with another viewer who suggests the director must be laughing at all the idiots who paid to go watch this film, but again, the trailer looked good yet the movie lacks of credibility, plotline, exitement, good acting, etc. We feel robbed! there should be a watchdog for movies that are completly crap so inocent people like us dont get ripped off and mislead by the dodgy trailer. 10 viewers cant be wrong, this film is DREADFUL!
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- usman said...
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Posted on Jun 15 2008 14:40
shyamalan has a good concept but he really has no vision how to execute his ideas ,and i agree apart from mark no other actor was right -mrs.johnson was a parody .
and the suicides are so badly executed like the man who lies under the garden mower .
this is better than lady in water but it could have been much better ,but truly the happening never happens ,why? is plain enough ,it suffocates on its own pretentious make -believe and is repetitive to the point of boring you to death ,i cannot believe this guy made sixth sense and unbreakable ,
we need a break please - Report as inappropriate
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- Alexandra said...
- Posted on Jun 15 2008 12:18 Me and a friend went to watch this film yestarday, thinking it was going to be really scary because of the good advertisment. well wernt we utterly wrong. The first 5 or 10 minutes were quite good, and a bit scary but then it just went downhill from there, Shyamalan should have got much better actors to play elliot and alma as they were two of the worst actors i have ever seen, they really let the film down, along with the most stupid plotline of plants killing people. I really think that this could have been a great film if it had better actors, a better plotline that makes you gasp and although this might sound a bit wierd, more scary and traumatic deaths.
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- Katb said...
- Posted on Jun 14 2008 23:23 I think it's such a shame that a potentially promising plotline (and first 10 minutes) resulted in such an anti-climax and frankly bizarre ending. As others have said, the film starts out promisingly. People committing mass suicide - some dramatic and grisly scenes followed by Mark Wahlberg and his annoying girlfriend running round the countryside for an hour. It did occur to me at certain points during the film - notably when the group were in the showhouse, that it was a spoof - sadly, the humour was limited to this scene alone and the plot dragged along leading to a pathetic ending. Nothing was really explained and although some fantastic films end abruptly leaving you thinking - this was not one of them. It just left you wondering why you just paid good money to see it. Verduct - The not happening (had to be said)
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- Khalid said...
- Posted on Jun 14 2008 20:34 Thanks to all those contributed their comments, was going to go and waste my money and time, but not now .. stay at home and watch a re-run of Dr Who may be more interesting!!! .. :)
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- danielle said...
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Posted on Jun 14 2008 16:37
went to watch this film last night... well lets start with the build up... the adverts made it look amazing... a true horror to have viewers on the end of their seats... but i have to ask was it a spoof? all the build up, and the friday the 13th release date... i think that M nights might have actual;ly thought " right im going to make a really shit low budget film and laugh at all the losers that pay money to go and see it"
for godsake.... at one point the microphone broom actually dropped down in the top left hand corner of the screen ( i was deeply dissapointed to discover it was not infact mark walbergs abissmal girlfriend hanging from the rafters)
the only good and vaguely interesting part of the film was the first 5 minutes and after that... well it was about plants releasing a chemical that makes you kill yourself....
say that to yourself a few times and see how ridiculous it sounds.... the answer is EXTREMELY!
also vvvvery dissapointed with mark wahlberg! the most wooden and uncommited acting iv'e seen since in a long time!
utter rubbish
extra cheese
however you MUST go and see it!
my mates and i nearly peed ourselves laughing at it! us and everyone else in the packed out cinema! - Report as inappropriate
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- Miktal said...
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Posted on Jun 14 2008 15:15
Every year New York is attacked by something. Either an invading alien, mysterious monster, fanatical terrorist or now a veggies fart. I dont really care anymore, and maybe that`s the reason I watched these mass suicides with a sense of satisfaction.
The film is total pants. When a man, who is driven by scientific logic, asks a rubber plant if its OK to use the toilet, you know something has gone seriously wrong. - Report as inappropriate
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- Richard said...
- Posted on Jun 14 2008 10:57 well i agree with the dude below me. this film is utter crap. more of a comedy than a horror ill admit some bits creeped me out. like with the doll on the bed but i have a phobia of them anyway. but the rest is shit. especially elliot talking to the plant in the model house and then realising its plastic. the audiance were laughing at it all. avoid.
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- DAN said...
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Posted on Jun 14 2008 10:39
DO NOT WATCH THIS CRAP! THIS IS THE WORST FILM EVER MADE! I WANT MY 2 HOURS OF MY LIFE WASTED BACK + MY MONEY! I EVEN THINK SOMEBODY DIED WHILST WATCHING THIS AS THEY DIDNT LEAVE THERE SEAT AFTER I
T WAS FINISHED. AWFULL AWFULL AWFULL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo, Ashlyn Sanchez, Betty Buckley, Spencer Breslin full cast
Duration: 91 mins
US Release: Jun 13 2008
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