Signs

SIGNS — *** — Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin, Cherry Jones, Patricia Kalember; rated PG-13 (violence, profanity, vulgarity, brief gore); see the "On the Screen" column for complete listing of local theaters.

Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan pulled off one of the trickiest and best "what-the?" endings ever in his 1999 smash hit "The Sixth Sense." But his subsequent films leave the audience with more questions than answers.

Take, for instance, his follow-up film, "Unbreakable." Many people are still not sure how they felt about the 2000 superhero-in-the-real-world thriller. (Though its fan base has grown since its video release.)

And Shyamalan's latest film, "Signs," is similar in that it keeps the audience at arm's length — although probably for a good reason this time. And unlike "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable," there's no big "shock" ending, just a series of small surprises that add up to a lot more.

The biggest surprise of "Signs" is its seemingly straightforward premise. This science-fiction thriller revolves around a persistent modern-day mystery to explore weightier themes of faith and loss. Consequently, it's a film that seems to defy immediate appreciation. But it has a way of seeping into your consciousness, with lingering questions about what the film is really getting at.

Mel Gibson stars as Graham Hess, a farmer and former clergyman who is mourning the tragic death of his wife. He's also bringing up two small children, his son Morgan (Rory Culkin) and his daughter Bo (newcomer Abigail Breslin), with some small help from his wayward brother, Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix).

If that isn't enough to deal with, a mysterious crop circle formation has popped up overnight in his cornfield. At first, Graham is convinced that it's the work of local pranksters. But then his intuitive daughter begins receiving premonitions of something bad, and there appear to be visitations of some sort.

That's probably as much of the plot as can be revealed without revealing too much. Suffice to say that the film has "War of the Worlds" overtones, and that some moments recall both "The Blair Witch Project" and "The Others."

As with Shyamalan's other films, this one also has the ability to keep you on the edge of your seat — especially during the extremely tense final quarter of the movie. And, thankfully, Gibson's performance is surprisingly understated and restrained (a stark contrast in comparison to some of his more recent, overwrought work).

"Signs" is rated PG-13 for brief moments of violence (including a beating and stabbing), scattered use of profanity and some mildly vulgar language, and brief glimpses of gore. Running time: 106 minutes.

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com