Checking out the fare in a restaurant goes well beyond the menu in this spot that offers an atypical combination of humor and eeriness for American Express, directed by and starring noted filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, who’s known for his storytelling about the supernatural.
We open on Shyamalan sitting at a restaurant booth where he’s witness to some strange goings on. A man and a woman in a nearby booth turn toward the camera, revealing faces that are covered with plastic, skin-like masks. Next a stroller presumably carrying an infant rolls through the eatery–with no one pushing it. The stroller stops in front of a couple seated at a table. We hear the baby crying as the two adults blankly stare into space.
Ambient restaurant noise later gives way to a man verbally berating the woman who is seated next to him. “It is a big deal–unbelievable,” he says in a raised voice. She stays silent, but somehow exacts a measure of revenge, seemingly causing the man to choke on a bite of food. As his choking gets worse, she sits emotionless and unresponsive.
A waitress walks by and drops two wine glasses, which shatter on the floor. Several onlookers disappear before our eyes.
At another table, a woman talks incessantly and then suddenly thrusts out her tongue to capture an annoying insect–after which she resumes her conversation without missing a beat.
Four men with their jacket hoods over their heads sit at a table. A waitress passes, inadvertently pulling one of the hoods back to reveal a shaved head. The man reaches to put the hood back on his head, revealing a forearm tattooed with strange hieroglyphic-like figures.
The surreal happenings are then broken when a waitress approaches Shymalan, telling him what a fan she is of his films, describing scenes from such hits as The Sixth Sense and The Village.
We then hear the filmmaker explain, “My life is about finding the time to dream. That’s why my card is American Express.” At this point, we see Shymalan entering another restaurant, requesting “a table for one.”
Shyamalan directed this spot (titled “M. Night Shyamalan”), which was produced by Stillking Films (with bases of operation in Los Angeles and internationally). Production services were provided by Bright Pictures, a New York shop (with offices in Los Angeles and Miami) headed by Rudy Callegari. Aiding in production coordination was Shymalan’s company Blinding Edge Pictures, which is located in the Philadelphia area. Sam Mercer of Blinding Edge and Matthew Stillman of Stillking produced the commercial.
Shyamalan is also credited as a writer on the job, which came out of Ogilvy & Mather, New York. The Ogilvy ensemble included executive creative director David Apicella, creative directors Terry Finley and Chris Mitton, art director David Lloyd, copywriter Dan Kroeger, exec producer Alice Mintzer, producer Rachel Watson, and music producer Sara Matarazzo. Editor was Hank Corwin of Lost Planet, New York. Visual effects were done by ILM, San Francisco.
