La cabane isolée

For some reason, despite a few bombs, I've always rooted for M. Night Shyamalan. I don't know ... he just seems like a good guy and someone who I would like to have as a neighbor maybe.

In addition to being a seemingly likeable person, he made one or two really great films (at least one, for sure) and for some reason that just adds to his likeability. The problem with this, is that because of his seemingly genuine affability and because of the one or two good films he has made, I always feel as if he has it in him to create something exceptional, and time and time and again I think that the 'next one' will BE the one ... only to find that it isn't. So is the case with his latest offering, Knock at the Cabin. With The Cabin At the End of the World (which was the source material for Knock at the Cabin), he even started off with more than half of the recipe for something amazing.

The fact that it falls SOOOO short of being so, is truly a shame, and makes me wonder if he will really ever reach the heights of another 'The Sixth Sense'.

In order to avoid a Spoiler Tag I will not go into detail, but there was ZERO FILMED backstory to any of the important characters, and the filming of the backstories (and getting to know at least a little about each of them) was NECESSARY / paramount for this film to work. Having each character just speak about themselves for what amounted to a handful of minutes, was the worst.

I read the book this film is based on before watching it. The Cabin At the End of the World was a great book that really dives into the histories of the characters, the philosophy behind the choice, and it ended with an ambiguous ending, where you weren't sure who was right at the end.

The movie was on par with The Last Airbender in how it took the source material and made a Wikipedia summary adaptation with poor dialogue, acting and an ending that missed the point. The only redeeming quality was Dave Bautista's performance. He really did a good job with the role of a giant with a heart of gold, who is forced to do something horrible. You can really see the sadness in his eyes, and his conviction that what he saw was true.

M. Night needs to get help with his scripts. He just doesn't know what he's doing.

I don't know why I keep on falling for it. I keep on watching movies by M Night Shyamalan, and continue to hope to walk away with the excitement and awe I felt when I watched movies like The Sixth Sense, Signs, and The Visit. Instead, I keep on walking away shaking my head, thinking about the lost potential and opportunity. He continues to have very interesting ideas with very poor execution. The concept of this movie is excellent. The directorial choices, the storyline, the decisions made by characters were to be honest with you kind of blah. I didn't care enough about any of the characters to really care what happened to them. For a director that's known for his plot twists, this movie sure could've used one.

Shyamalan gets the most extremes sides far as reactions. People either love or hate his movies for his bizarre yet ambitious signature style. The fact that he approaches his films with a "swing away" attitude has gained my utmost respect since his mega hit Sixth Sense. Along the way there's been some strikeouts but within the last decade he's created a Renaissance for his films.

This particular book adaptation is yet another hit, and will be sure to get people talking. The premise starts out rather straightforward and you quickly find out the stakes are high and massive. The story will grab hold of you and shake you to the core with twists that even though you know are coming will still be shocking even for M Night's catalogue.

The acting is absolutely next level with Dave Bautista and Jonathan Groff putting in their raw emotions and prowess into every scene. They will make you feel the story relentlessly . The writing here is also relative and gutsy. The camerawork is as crisp as ever with fantastic wilderness settings and supreme angle work. The cgi for certain scenes used looks authentic and never cheap. The true standout has to once again be the leaps that the plot takes going into to daring territory . It never holds back which is commendable in a time like this.

Overall I would easily say that this film will be looked at as one of his stronger ventures and is highly thought provoking to a point where you'll need a second viewing. It gives the classic Shyamalan wonder and curiosity that make him one of the most intriguing directors /story tellers of our time.

Just so you know where I'm coming from up front, I should preface this review by saying I'm not the biggest M. Night Shyamalan fan - in fact, I kind of like to tease and mock his movies when I watch them with friends. I think he often starts off with interesting ideas but, perhaps because of his early success with The Sixth Sense, always feels this need to cram in some kind of ridiculous twist (or multiple twists) at the end. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't - but he seems to rely on the surprise of the twist to win people over too much. It was a surprise to me then when this movie didn't have a twist at all. I kept waiting for it - but it never came.

That's not really a good thing though because the movie is very slow and plodding, never really going anywhere, and at 1hr 40min the premise just isn't engaging enough to sustain interest for the duration. It's not all bad though. Perhaps the most surprising thing is Dave Bautista, who delivers a nuanced understated performance as Leonard. I still remember when I used to assume a movie was going to be bad if Bautista was in it - but over the past few years he has really come into his own as an actor and is showing his ability to take on some interesting roles.

While I can't really recommend this movie I do have to give it a few bonus points just for Bautista.