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Signs (2002)
One of the greatest thrillers ever made...
M. Night Shyamalan broke through in one of the biggest ways with 'The Sixth Sense', a cleverly scripted, chillingly shot, superbly paced horror/thriller that, had it been the only film he ever made, would have assured the director a place in film history. His next film, the well-directed, but less engaging 'Unbreakable', was not quite what its predecessor was. And even though Shyamalan wrote a twist ending for 'Unbreakable', it lacked the punch of 'Sense.'
'Signs', on the other hand, is one of those rare things: a film that is practically flawless. Whether the film has a twist ending or not I will not reveal, but an unexpected denoument is not necessary for a film like this - a film that grips the audience in unrelenting dread without apology. It is rare indeed for a film-maker to succesfully manipulate a post-postmodern audience. Rarer still is a director who can do it so consistently, without cheating, without resorting to shock tactics. Also very worthy of mention is James Newton Howard's equally flawless score. Equal parts 'Psycho' and 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind', Howard's main theme is played over the style of opening credits rarely seen nowadays. Shyamalan has been compared to Spielberg, but 'Signs' is closer to Hitchcock than anything else, and Howard is Shyamalan's Bernard Herrmann.
Shyamalan has woven tales from remnants of pop culture - ghosts, comic books, crop circles. One can only wonder what poison tale he will tell next.
R.S.V.P. (2002)
Ludicrous
In writing this, it is my hope, not to save myself from this travesty, but to save others from investing money or time in this "motion picture". Claiming to be inspired by Hitchcock's masterful 'Rope', the film borrows part of the plot, but none of the suspense, sense, or entertainment value. Sadly, the director, producers and actors all thought at some point that this was a viable project. Its more like a horse with a broken leg. It needs to be shot to be put out of everyone's misery.
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)
A delightful treat
Like Hallstrom's 'Chocolat', 'Amelie' is a wicked, beautiful indulgence. Every single shot is like an oil panting, bursting with colour and energy and mystery.
What more can be said about a film already heaped with so many accolades its busting at the seams? Rarely is a film so outstanding in so many aspects. The most immediate reward for the audience is the cinematography - bold, lush, fecund. It has been suggested out that the Paris portrayed in 'Amelie' does not exist, but those people are wrong. The Paris in 'Amelie' is a place lovingly crafted into existence by the director, the cinematographer, the composer, the editor, the actors. For a few brief moments, we are allowed to live in a fairy tale.
Jeunet uses the camera to emphasize emotion already on screen, not to create them. Like the opening of 'The Royal Tenenbaums', a narrator introduces us to the characters that will shape the film, and shape our heroine, Amelie. Amelie appears to take in the world with wide-eyed innocence, but the audience can see the mischievnous that lies beneath. She is instantly adorable.
So much of the film is remarkable because of the look. Yet, like any good film, the heart of the film is the story and the characters. It is here that the film becomes magical instead of merely excellent, a film that treads the line between whimsy and heartache, of hope and hopelessness, of toil and reward with remarkable aplomb. Jeunet is a magician, and 'Amelie' is the act that brings the house down.