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Is it lame to still get unabashedly excited for a newM.
Sure can seem like it.
Perhaps it was the erroneous impression that all Shyamalan movies are aboutthe twist.
(The Sixth Senses legacy continues to loom large.)
Or maybe it was his earnest sensibilities, which often tip into maudlin?
Generally speaking, though, Im happy to stump for any Shyamalan flick, good or bad.
Dude was clearly working some stuff out.
ButSignsisnt one of the bad ones, and of his oeuvre, it remains a personal favorite.
Crop circles begin to pop up around the world and on the familys farm.
What you have to ask yourself is, What kind of person are you?
Or look at the question this way.
Is it possible that there are no coincidences?
There is no one watching us, Merrill, he says.
We are all alone.
But of course, our protagonist needs room to evolve.
Morgans asthma prevents the aliens toxic gas (?)
from killing (?)
What seemed like coincidences were aspects of fate coalescing into a miracle.
Yes, its tidy.
And yes, you dont have to poke around all that much to break the machine of the film.
But also, why overthink it?
When James Newton Howards score swells in the climax, that shitalwayshits.
Just go with it, man.
Shyamalan has talked aboutSignsasbeing the most joyous moviehes ever made.
And you might see it.The Sixth SenseandUnbreakableare heavy and brooding.
By contrast,Signsis so much springier on its feet.
He also talked about howTrapwas the fastest he has ever written a script, behindSigns.
(Honestly, you might sorta tell.)
Thats because Ive accepted the M. Night Shyamalan experience for what it is.
An uncharitable soulcouldregard his output as elevated B-movies with ingenious elevator pitches, and this wouldnt necessarily be wrong.
But they are all wonderfully emotional and personal movies made on a popcorn-blockbuster scale.
In this pursuit, he paints with big feelings.
His twists serve an emotional sense.
His impulse to spell everything out makes sure the whole thing slaps you in the face.
All of these components produce true idiosyncrasy: A Shyamalan film is so specific to him.
This remains true as Shyamalan continues his comeback phase.
But in its soul, its a movie about an embarrassing dad made by an embarrassing dad.
And as simple and silly as it can get, its also an utter joy to watch.
