The Happening

So, in Central Park people come to a stand still all of a sudden. A lady removes a long sharp object, that is used to hold her hair intact, and pokes herself dead through her throat (the gore, admirably not shown!). So, one (read, Me) is not at fault if one thinks the movie has a lot to reveal, especially if the movie opens with a sequence like the one mentioned above! Anyway, just when the part of the mind which is kept safe and secure to revel in some insightful movie which drops by with the occasional meteor sighting, sets itself up to revel in the likely event of a meteor sighting, you are bombarded with a scene that is an oh-so-cliched version of a science class! And the scene after this was the best of the movie.

Picture this. 3 construction workers are talking; cracking jokes as you would expect them to especially after having done so in innumerable movies before! Which might prompt one to think, why do construction workers always joke when they are in a movie? Anyway, this is probably the only part of the movie, if at all, on which I may spare inflicting sarcasm. Having so decided, let me move on. So, these guys are generally joking and laughing, when one of their colleagues falls to death. "John!" exclaims one of them, only to show he knows his name - for there is no other consequence of that exclamation! He then goes on, as a good samaritan would, to inform medics about this accident, when he hears another sound - another colleague fallen to death. Then another. Another. Another. And the scene I like the most, as the camera moves upwards you see people - in line - walking off the planks from the top floor. Not being pushed. Not thrown. They are walking off; to their own deaths.

And this is exactly when I would request, and in keeping with good humanitarian practices, even beg you all to leave the movie hall. Just get up and leave. Do not worry about the rest of the movie - or the gross amount of money you paid only a few minutes ago. Unless, I know you love this unless, of course you like humor! Because, that is provided aplenty.

It is at this stage that the viewer is introduced to a new character, one which changes color and character all the time. The boom mic. I have seen many a movies, but none like this. None where you can see the boom mic all the time! They appear is various colors and shapes - black, silver, black with a red ring, lolly-pop shaped, a wholesome one, etc. It is really funny, and you have to see it to believe it. It is otherwise impossible that such a thing 'happen's but for in a movie titled so - it is after all the Happening! The laughter in the movie hall reaches hysterical proportions when in a certain scene we can actually see the mic oscillate between actors as they exchange conversations. Frankly, this was the only entertaining part and for one, I could claim that I have indeed seen this phenomenon actually happen!

Disclaimer: This 'happening' though been reported in many a movie halls across the world; some claim that they haven't seen anything that hideous as I describe. So, in case you are one who would risk that - please do at your own cost

Well then, back to the plot! There is a news bulletin (yes yes, like the one in Signs) where some Ph. D. guy from MIT claims that this is due to some toxin released in the air by some, yes you guessed it right, terrorists who are now indulging in bio-chemical warfare. And shortly, there is another comment which says that the pattern (oh yes, this phenomenon is now spreading all through the North East) suggests this is not in fact a terrorist attack. Also, the toxin works in a 3-step process.
1. Person looses short term memory
2. Person is completely disoriented
3. Person gets this immutable drive to kill himself

In the meantime, it attacks the hero's city and they are advised to vacate the city. The way MNS (not of the Sena fame, duh!) has shot this scene is indeed interesting. For once, he does not create panic-filled-helter-skelter-running scenes, instead choosing to show people moving out in numbers very calmly. That, I would submit is indeed soothing.

Now, after their train stops mid-earth and people run from there too (of course the hero and his wife are left behind, duh!); they meet this guy who offers them a lift and some botanical mythical-facts like plants communicate amongst different species and such-like. He says plants react and evolve. When a certain kind of worm attacks the plants, they release a toxin to attract wasps and thus evolve with self-protective mechanisms. Thus, he claims, much to the humor of our hero-heroine jodi, that now plants are reacting to human stimuli. We have wronged them and they are taking revenge! And a few more random scenes-of-people-dying-in-various-ways later, hero finally not just believes in the plant stimuli thingy, but also brings out a pattern wherein the plants react only if a minimum number of people are around.

Oh man! I just realized that my narration doesn't sound half as bad as the film itself! Well, after they are given refuge by an eccentric old lady and surprisingly the 'winds' victimize her (Oh! Her death is irritatingly dramatic!) leaving the hero-heroine untouched! Then what MNS does is bizarre, not only 3 months later does he show that the wife is pregnant but also ends it with a similar Central Park scene in some part of the world!

End of movie.

And, in keeping with my good nature of imparting credit where it is due - I give it to the director for making the movie so effective, in the sense -

Immediately after getting out of the movie hall -
1. I had a short term memory loss
2. I was completely disoriented
3. I got this immutable drive to kill myself and/ or Manoj Night Shyamalan

End of review.

PS: For the keener audience - I loved the plot. The hero-heroine jodi were spared because they are in the process of getting back together and exchanging lovey-dovey sweeteners. And, at some point in the movie the botany-maniac says talking sweetly has a positive effect on the plants and such-like. Hence, probably spared. Or whatever! But for the boom mic, I guess the movie would have been much better!