SO TONIGHT, WE ARE REVIEWING THE LATEST M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN FILM. THE MAN WHO MOST PEOPLE IN AMERICA CONSIDER TO BE A COURT JESTER AMONG KINGS, AS FAR AS FILMMAKERS GO FOR OVER THE LAST DECADE. LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, I AM HERE TO TELL YOU THAT IF HE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE MOVIES SUCH AS ‘THE VISIT’, HE WILL NO LONGER BE A COURT JESTER, BUT MORE OF A CREATIVE AND OBSCURE TOWNSMAN WHO, FOR THOSE VERY REASONS, EVERYONE KNOWS BY NAME AND HUMOR HIS IDEAS FROM TIME TO TIME.
IT SEEMS AS IF SHYAMALAN MAY BE GOING THROUGH A BIT OF A REBIRTH, AND STICKING TO HIS ROOTS, THE THINGS THAT MADE HIM A HOLLYWOOD NAME IN THE FIRST PLACE. THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY WE COULD POTENTIALLY BE LOOKING AT A SHYAMALAN UPSWING. HE’S GETTING CREATIVE, HE’S USING MORE DIRECTORIAL TRICKS TO EMPHASIZE THE MOOD RATHER THAN LET THE BIG BUDGET DO THE WORK, HE SUCCESSFULLY BUILDS TENSION (WHICH WE HAVEN’T SEEN IN SO, SO LONG) AND HE TIES IN AN EMOTIONAL AND MEANINGFUL SIDE STORY TO THE BIGGER PICTURE AT HAND. ALL THINGS HE DID IN THE SIXTH SENSE, UNBREAKABLE, SIGNS, AND THE VILLAGE, WHICH IN MY OPINION WERE THE ONLY DECENT FILMS SINCE HIS LATEST.
SHYMALAN HAS DECIDED HERE TO ADD HIS OWN TAKE ON THE HAND HELD/FOUND FOOTAGE GENRE, BUT DOES IT TO A GREATER AND MORE REALISTIC DEGREE THEN YOU WILL FIND IN MOST OTHERS. INSTEAD OF A NEED TO SHOW THE WORLD, OR BLATANTLY SHRUGGING OFF THE “WHY ARE YOU STILL RECORDING” QUESTION, HE TELLS IT THROUGH A DOCUMENTARY STYLE. THE DAUGHTER, BECCA (OLIVIA DEJONGE) HAS DECIDED TO DOCUMENT HER AND HER BROTHER TYLER’S EXPERIENCE (ED OXENBOULD) FOR THEIR MOTHER TO SEE. THE MOTHER (KATHRYN HAHN) HASN’T SPOKEN TO THE GRANDPARENTS SINCE SHE WAS IN HER LATE TEENS AFTER AN UNSPEAKABLE FIGHT AND LEAVING FOREVER. BECCA WISHES TO FIX IT BY MAKING A VIDEO FOR HER MOM.
THE FIRST ACT (WHICH EXPLAINS ALL OF THAT) IS INCREDIBLY DULL. THE FIRST TWENTY MINUTES ARE OUTRIGHT BORING AND ARE SIMPLY THERE TO EXPLAIN THINGS TO THE AUDIENCE. NO SCARES. AND EVEN THE COMEDY IS AWKWARD AND UNSURE OF ITSELF. THE MOVIE DOESN’T GET INTERESTING UNTIL THEY ARRIVE AT THEIR GRANDPARENTS HOUSE. NANA AND POP POP ARE PLAYED BY DEANNA DUNAGAN AND PETER MCROBBIE. AWKWARD AND PRETTY OUT OF IT FROM THE GET GO, IMMEDIATELY LEAVES THE AUDIENCE WONDERING WHAT THEIR DEAL IS. IT’S FIRST BRUSHED OFF AS “THEY’RE OLD” WITH EXCUSES OF LOST MEMORY AND FREQUENT ILLNESS DUE TO OLD AGE. BUT THE KIDS IN THE STORY DON’T BUY IT. AND THE AUDIENCE CERTAINLY DOESN’T BUY IT.
THE MAJOR REOCCURRING RULE THE GRANDPARENTS HAVE ARE TO NEVER LEAVE THE ROOM AFTER 9:30. NOT EVEN TO OPEN THE DOOR. OBVIOUSLY THEY DO. (SO WOULD I). BUT THAT’S WHEN THEY START TO REALLY REALIZE THAT SOMETHING ELSE IS GOING ON HERE. THIS IS ALSO WHERE SHYAMALAN DECIDES TO TAKE THE HORROR GENRE FOR A RIDE WE DON’T OFTEN SEE. HIS COMEDY HORROR BLEND IS MUCH MORE THAN COMEDIC RELIEF. HIS TENSION BUILDUP IS WELL DONE. FROM CREEPY NOISES AND CONVERSATIONS FROM THE GRANDPARENTS, TO CHASE SCENES, TO FLAT OUT MYSTERIES, OFTEN END COMEDIC. AS IF THE SCENE’S TENSION BUILDS AND BUILDS, AND ONCE YOU’RE AWAITING THAT BIG SCARE TO END THE SCENE, SHYAMALAN TWISTS IT TO MAKE YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD. IT’S A VERY ODD AND INTERESTING VISION BUT KIND OF WORKS.
SPEAKING OF TWISTS AND THINGS THAT WORK, YES THERE’S A TWIST. AND YES IT WORKS. MANY PEOPLE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH SHYAMALANS TWIST ENDINGS IN THE PAST, BUT THIS ONE IS TOO SIMPLE TO HATE ON. IT COMES WITH ABOUT THIRTY MINUTES LEFT, AND THE DELIVERY AND EXECUTION MAKE THE WHOLE AUDIENCE GET ENGAGED AND ON THE EDGE OF THEIR SEAT. SHYMALAN BUILDS TENSION AND BLENDS IT WITH COMEDY, BUT IN A PARANORMAL ACTIVITY FASHION. HE HAS ODD THINGS HAPPEN DURING THE DAY, AND EVEN CRAZIER THINGS HAPPEN AT NIGHT. BASICALLY, THE THINGS DURING THE DAY CAN BE EASILY EXPLAINED. BUT THE THINGS AT NIGHT SEEM TOO INSANE TO JUST BE BRUSHED OFF WITH AN EXCUSE. EACH NIGHT BRINGS SOMETHING ELSE TO THE TABLE, AND HE CAPTURES IT WELL. WHETHER IT’S SETTING UP A CAMERA OUTSIDE OF THE ROOM (FOR WHEN THE KIDS TRULY DECIDE NOT TO OPEN THE DOOR) OR JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK GLIMPSE OF WHAT THE HORROR IS BY OPENING THE DOOR OUT OF CURIOSITY, THEN QUICKLY SHUTTING IT OUT OF FEAR.
SHYAMALAN ALSO LETS IT LAST JUST LONG ENOUGH TO THE POINT WHERE WE START TO BECOME IMPATIENT WITH UNANSWERED QUESTIONS, ONLY TO THROW THE TWIST OUR WAY, AND IMMEDIATELY UP THE STAKES. IT’S NOT AS CLEVER AS ‘THE SIXTH SENSE’ AND THE STORY ISN’T AS GOOD AS ‘UNBREAKABLE’ BUT IT’S DEFINITELY HIS BEST WORK IN A DECADE. AS FAR AS THE WRITING GOES, IT’S GOOD NOT GREAT. THERE’S PLENTY OF PLANT AND PAY OFF, AS IN GIVING THE AUDIENCE SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT CONCERNING THE CHARACTERS, AND HAVING IT COME BACK IN A MEANINGFUL WAY LATER. SOME OF IT WORKS. SOME OF IT IS FORCED AND DOESN’T FLOW WITH THE OTHER SCENES. AND SOME OF IT DOWN RIGHT FEELS LIKE HE ALMOST FORGOT TO PUT IT IN, AND IF HE HAD THE STORY WOULD’VE MADE ZERO SENSE SO HE QUICKLY ADDED IT SOMEWHERE TO AVOID PLOT HOLES. ALL IN ALL THE ACTING IS GOOD, THE WRITING IS SOLID, IT’S A FRESH TAKE ON HAND HELD FILMS FOR THE HORROR GENRE AND IT’S WORTH THE WATCH. BUT IT’S NOT PERFECT, AND IT’S CERTAINLY NOT HIS BEST. I HOPE HE CONTINUES TO EXECUTE HIS CREATIVITY IN A SUCCESSFUL MANNER AND AVOID ANYTHING LIKE THE HAPPENING FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.
Rating: 6.5/10
The Middle Seats 