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Well,
it didn't take long. 2008 now has a contender
in The Signal for the year-end portion of
lists that indicate which film was both too smart
for it's own good and/or tried to do too much.
Oddly enough, all of the parts required to create a
good movie are all there. You have an
interesting plot device in "the signal" that
capitalizes on the paranoia of living in an
electronic-heavy world when it begins driving people
mad when all radios, phones and TVs start
transmitting it. There's also the nifty way of
telling the story from three different perspectives,
as it provides solid insight on how each person
deals with what's going on around them. Plus,
the cast is good.
So, why doesn't it work? It's actually all of
the same things that could have made it brilliant.
The signal that drives everyone into killing
machines doesn't actually have any sort of rules
that the viewer can latch onto. Some watch it
and don't seem affected. Others watch and turn
into paranoid killing machines. Hell, there
are even a few characters who are exposed off and
on, but sometimes the reaction, if there is one, is
always random and different. In other words,
the makers of this used the signal as was needed to
move the plot along. Speaking of the plot, the
three different perspectives are so wildly jarring
to the pacing that it makes you feel like you're
starting over each time it happens. If it had
been done right then it would have been a really
neat addition, but it just doesn't work as is.
In addition to those issues there are also too many
moments when you feel the need to question what's
happening on screen. For instance, at one
point a character enters the plot completely unaware
of what's been going on all over what is hinted as
the world. Yet, just a short while earlier
there was a scene that had bodies littered all over
amongst a rioting crowd of maniacs. Also, how
many people would just decide to stare into a
blaringly loud, epileptic seizure causing light show
long enough to become crazy? Wouldn't most
just turn it off as soon as it didn't seem as if it
was working? Weird.
At the end of the day though, I still want to
recommend this to those of you who are feeling
adventurous. Sometimes high concept works like
this can result in a clear divide of who approves
and who doesn't. So, who knows? You may
love it to no end. Just make sure you pack a
little patience alongside the snacks you plan on
sneaking in. |
