Happening,the Blu Ray [Blu-ray]

It was something to watch at least.

Strange moving with bad acting to the point it almost seems sarcastic

Okay, most of us film fans will say that we loved M. Night Shymalan's `The Sixth Sense' and `Unbreakable.' And `The Village' and even `Signs' were more hit than miss. However, when it came to `The Happening,' something... happened.Whereas his other films were all logical (or at least logic in a supernatural setting), had a good story, acting and pacing, The Happening didn't seem to have any of them. What it did have (and its main high-point in my opinion) was a very creepy premise. One day - for no reason at all - people start to commit suicide, en masse. Why? We don't know. They just do.Therefore, Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel must do their best to unravel the mystery while at the same time trying not to succumb to the urge to kill themselves. And it doesn't really work. For those few people who try to praise this movie, they say that its high-point is that it is a MYSTERY and therefore not meant to be solves. Others just get frustrated by the little information we - the audience - are given concerning what's actually happening.Oh, and that's another thing, people keep using the word `happening' at least once in every conversation - presumably in case you've forgotten what film you're watching. And it gets annoying after a while.Another low point is Zooey Deschanel. Don't get me wrong... I like her as an actress and she's been good in other projects. However, here, she delivers her lines with about as much passion as a tree blowing in the wind. There's an absolute lack of chemistry between her and Wahlberg, who, by his own admission, only took the part so he could play a teacher (as opposed to his usual roles as criminals or tough guys).I've watched The Happening twice now. It's not anywhere as good as Shymalan's previous work, but - somehow - it retains enough weird and dark charm to warrant a second viewing for me. Don't expect every question to be answered and, if you can live with the frustration after ninety minutes then you may hate it a little less than most (a bit like me).

Wow! Shyamalan sure has fallen from grace in the eyes of many critics and in the eyes of many denizens of Amazon too! I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's got something to do with an impatience with his more mystical/cod-philosophical/predestinatory leanings. But, hey, I'm a sucker for mysticism, cod-philosophy and predestination, so much of his work resonates with me! Together with the rest of the world - as far as I could tell at the time - I was gobsmacked with the virtuoso filmmaking and performances of The Sixth Sense. Together with a far smaller proportion of the world, I was deeply satisfied with Unbreakable, Signs and The Village. And I felt very lonely indeed in loving Lady in the Water! And so we come to The Happening which, to me, is probably the least successful of Shyamalan's offerings. Exactly why is difficult for me to articulate. After all, I was intrigued with the goings-on from the beginning. (Although I was initially vaguely reminded of Stephen King's novel Cell.) There was a definite creepiness and heart-in-mouth feeling for most of the movie. There was a cracking pace which suited the story well and there were some very endearing performances - notably from Mark Wahlberg and John Leguizamo. But the ending of the 'happening' of the title didn't quite work. I'm pretty sure I understood what Shyamalan was getting at - and it was a noble idea, a decent premise. But it didn't quite resolve satisfactorily. And I'm sure this was a blessing for many, but for me the movie was too short. I really enjoyed the epic feel of some of his earlier work. But The Happening felt a lot more like a throwaway B-movie. But I still maintain that Shyamalan is a significant mainstream artist with plenty to say and a distinctive way in which he says it. Personally, even with the many caveats above, I will still look forward to seeing all of his work to come. (Even if I am approaching The Last Airbender with some great trepidation based on the rather naff trailers I've seen!)