Review: ‘The Happening’ entertaining, but not for everyone

Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo, Betty Buckley

Rated: R

M. Night Shyamalan fancies himself is a true auteur. He writes, directs, produces, plays bit parts in and sometimes supervises the music for his films.

His breakthrough effort, “The Sixth Sense,” was met with much critical acclaim and box office success.

But since then, Shyamalan has seemed to be in a constant waning state.

Film studios continued to fund the director, but critics started panning his films even before they were released. I thought both “Signs” and “The Village” were boring, ludicrous and self-absorbed; I skipped “Lady in the Water” altogether. And like many, I was not expecting much from Shyamalan’s latest, “The Happening.”

Reactions are mixed. Some people (critics and audiences) really like the film. Others are less than enthused – I overheard someone at the theater say, “That was the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen.”

I liked “The Happening” more than any of Shyamalan’s films since “The Sixth Sense.” There are elements in it that resonate with me in a philosophical sense, and yes, there are a number of jump-out-of-your-seat moments as well as avert-your-eyes moments – it’s the director’s first R-rated movie.

If you’ve seen any or all of his films, you know Shyamalan loves a good twist, a diversion, a (not to use the term disparagingly) gimmick. So it’s not fair to give too much away.

There’s a “happening” going on that begins in Central Park in New York City. People become disoriented and, in short order, kill themselves. From Central Park, the phenomenon begins spreading throughout the region.

The government is sure it’s a terrorist attack. Some scientists aren’t so sure. One owner of a greenhouse seems like a madman, but his theory (I’m not telling) may be the closest.

Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel play a couple whose marriage is almost on the rocks. They inherit the daughter of their best friend and, along with a lot of other people in groups of various sizes, begin heading west into Pennsylvania, where the happening doesn’t seem to be happening.

Wahlberg is a science teacher, and early in the film he’s discussing with his class the fact that honeybees are mysteriously disappearing. We see a quote from Albert Einstein on the blackboard that reads, “If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live.”

That’s all I’m saying.

There are enough scary moments and original ideas in “The Happening” to satisfy. Or, you might think, “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen.”

I thought it was well-made, original, thought-provoking and, at times, jolting.

But one person’s “philosophical” is another person’s “stupid.”

“Son of Rambow”

Directed by: Garth Jennings

Starring: Bill Milner, Will Poulter, Jessica Stevenson, Ed Westwick, Neil Dudgeon, Jules Sitruk

Rated: PG-13

If you’re one of the millions of people who have seen “Juno” on DVD, you may have noticed a preview for a quirky little English film entitled “Son of Rambow.” The previews make it seem to be almost a slapstick comedy starring a couple of charming British lads.

It is hilarious at times, but it’s a bittersweet, original coming-of-age movie, written, produced and directed by the team that brought the nearly impossible-to-film novel, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”

Set in the 1980s, “Son of Rambow” revolves around two school kids with remarkably different personalities. Will Proudfoot is a shy kid who spends most of his time making wonderful drawings in countless sketchbooks, even The Bible. As a member of the strict religious sect referred to in the film as The Brethren, Will isn’t allowed to listen to the radio, watch TV or movies. When videos are shown in class, he has to sit in the hall until the film is finished. While waiting it out one day, he meets another kid in the hall, tough guy Lee Carter. Carter is in the hall nearly every day, having been booted out of class.

Through a series of messed-up events, the boys become companions if not yet friends. Will visits Lee’s house –a veritable mansion attached to an old folk’s home run by his stepfather. His parents are always away “on holiday,” and Lee and his older brother live the good life of rich spoiled brats.

Will has never seen a movie, but Lee and his brother sell bootleg copies of films Lee shoots on video at the local cinema. While visiting Lee, Will sees his first film. It’s “First Blood,” the first in the “Rambo” series. Will’s world changes on the spot. Will has been longing for his late father and envisions himself as a young Rambo (he gets the spelling wrong) who liberates his dad who is being held by a wicked scarecrow in a local cornfield.

Lee is interested in using his video camera to enter an amateur filmmaker’s contest and, with the aid of the fired-up Will, he’s on his way. Will writes the story, stars as Son of Rambow and does his own stunts. Lee directs, shoots and co-stars as a character based on Colonel Trautman in “First Blood.”

Things go swimmingly (except, we find, Will can’t swim) at first but are soon disrupted by the arrival of a flashy French foreign exchange student named Didier.

The film builds slowly, and act three features a lot of bittersweet drama and life lessons.

It’s a funny and touching little film for viewers who don’t mind stepping outside of the mainstream. “Son of Rambow” will be at The Moxie Cinema through June 24.

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield freelance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.