By John Coffey
Roger Ebert's review of "The Happening."
I am glad that Roger Ebert liked M. Night Shyamalan's (I pronounce his name "Shah ma lawn") thriller "The Happening". I liked it too. This is a movie that creates a suspense and curiosity that carries the film. The premise of the film might seem a little absurd to some people, but the movie makes it barely believable. I find it believable because I know that plants secrete neurotoxins as a defense against insects. This is where nicotine comes from.
I am someone who is easily bothered by suicide violence in movies. Here most of the violence takes place off screen. There is a pair of shootings later in the picture that earned the movie the R rating, but most of the film is not as graphic.
I have to add that I also liked both "Unbreakable" and "The Village" despite less than favorable reviews. Some people liked "Unbreakable", but "The Village" found very few fans. Nevertheless, I think that M. Night Shyamalan is a master story teller.
