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Don't be put off by the negative commentary on this film (which surprises me almost as much as the film's unflinching social critique). Stanwyck gives a strong performance in an unusual late-cycle noir; unusual in that it opens in conventional noir style, wraps up the first noir plot in less than ten minutes, then proceeds into insightful and incisive melodrama. Sharper socially than even Fritz Lang's late noirs, "Crime of Passion" reminds us of the "nostalgia" for the "happy family values" of the 1950's for the wishful (?) thinking that it is. Stanwyck's slow descent into middle-class torpor and madness (she's a sharp, witty, intelligent woman who saddles herself with a maddeningly boring and conventional cop husband, played nicely against type by Sterling Hayden) lays bare the social nightmare presented to women desiring anything but the conventional patriarchal lifestyle (at one point, the LA police captain tells Stanwyck that she should be at home making her husband supper-- a line which haunts both Stanwyck and the film).

Well, if you expect "Predator" when paying money to see a film by M Night Shyamalan, I suppose you would indeed be disappointed by "Signs." And those detractors of the film who noted that several (mostly younger) viewers came out "disappointed" are also on target in their observations. This is a film that rewards patient, thoughtful viewing--particularly by those with some experience with the issues that the film itself engages (loss of loved ones, crisis of faith, fear of isolation, concern for loved ones, etc.). A carefully crafted work, "Signs" rewards ultimately because it takes no easy ways out, because it is not ultimately just about "alien invasions" or the usual, over-simplified material of most sci-fi summer fare. Mel Gibson has never been more controlled and more balanced; Inspector Riggs and William Wallace are nowhere to be seen in his performance. So those looking for easy thrills probably will be disappointed. But for those who want slowly developing chills, who have the patience to enjoy a gradually building atmosphere of a world spinning slowly into the unbelievable, this is both a very fun ride and a rewarding cinematic experience.