The Happening - There's a good film in there somewhere (I think)

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).

5/10 a hard trek, a bit like unicycling to Mordor and back