The Sixth Sense (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) comes home one night to find a mentally disturbed ex-patient shivering in his bathroom; he is Vincent (Donnie Wahlberg), angry, enraged, & scared. He shoots Malcolm & then kills himself. Some months later, Crowe is visited by a 9 yr. old boy named Cole (Haley Joel Osment). He "sees dead people" ... who don't seem to realize that they're dead (holy creepsville). Cole is confused. He's made fun of at school. And his mom (Toni Collette) is devastated by it all. Can Malcolm help the young boy by uncoiling this supernatural mystery? Finally, an odd, chilling psychological thriller has arrived in our theaters. 'The Sixth Sense', directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is a slow, methodical film; a slow burner. But boy, what a pay-off in the end.
Malcolm has not been well since the shooting. He's been emotionally detached. And it has affected his marriage. Vincent had been one of Malcolm's failures (he wasn't able to cure his psychosis as a child). So with Cole, he has some extra fire in his belly to succeed. However, the task ahead of him will prove more daunting than anything he's dealt with before. Little Cole can see & hear people that others cannot. And he is saddened that his mom, Lynn (Collette), cannot understand his paranormal powers, either. The rest of the plot involves Malcolm trying his hardest to help 'cure' Cole. Is the boy lying? Or is everything not what it seems to be? It all culminates in a stunner of an ending; one of the best and cleverest 'twists' I've ever seen in a film.
Audiences love to watch films about religion, spirituality, & (possible) connections btwn. this world & another one. That is why this film is such a huge hit. Death, psychosis, delusions, illusions, & forgiveness are just some of the themes that are broached. I haven't been so subtly disturbed or unnerved (hairs on my arm rose) in quite some time. Haley Joel Osment is fantastic as the shy, creepy, little boy who's having a rough go of it. He evokes terror in nearly every scene he's in. And Bruce Willis has never been so effective; he can thank Osment for improving his own performance. The 2 actors play off of each other very well. Toni Collette is great as the conflicted mom. There is a scene btwn. she & Osment in a car that is one of the single most incredible acting scenes of the year. With virtually no breaks/cuts in the scene, the emotions on display range from terrifying to heartwarming.
As mentioned, the pace of the film IS slow. Shyamalan lets the tension slowly build. But sprinkled throughout is a smattering of scary, eerie, or downright horrifying scenes/images which add to an overall powerful atmosphere. And the best part about it all is that the film doesn't 'have' to resort to gore. Again, the hair on my arms rose frequently. The opening scene is a killer, as is the closing scene (again, that twist). It's the kind of twist that makes you re-assess everything you've just watched for nearly 2 hours. Some people may find 'The Sixth Sense' dull, or not up to snuff. But I found it interesting, well acted, & truly haunting.
Malcolm has not been well since the shooting. He's been emotionally detached. And it has affected his marriage. Vincent had been one of Malcolm's failures (he wasn't able to cure his psychosis as a child). So with Cole, he has some extra fire in his belly to succeed. However, the task ahead of him will prove more daunting than anything he's dealt with before. Little Cole can see & hear people that others cannot. And he is saddened that his mom, Lynn (Collette), cannot understand his paranormal powers, either. The rest of the plot involves Malcolm trying his hardest to help 'cure' Cole. Is the boy lying? Or is everything not what it seems to be? It all culminates in a stunner of an ending; one of the best and cleverest 'twists' I've ever seen in a film.
Audiences love to watch films about religion, spirituality, & (possible) connections btwn. this world & another one. That is why this film is such a huge hit. Death, psychosis, delusions, illusions, & forgiveness are just some of the themes that are broached. I haven't been so subtly disturbed or unnerved (hairs on my arm rose) in quite some time. Haley Joel Osment is fantastic as the shy, creepy, little boy who's having a rough go of it. He evokes terror in nearly every scene he's in. And Bruce Willis has never been so effective; he can thank Osment for improving his own performance. The 2 actors play off of each other very well. Toni Collette is great as the conflicted mom. There is a scene btwn. she & Osment in a car that is one of the single most incredible acting scenes of the year. With virtually no breaks/cuts in the scene, the emotions on display range from terrifying to heartwarming.
As mentioned, the pace of the film IS slow. Shyamalan lets the tension slowly build. But sprinkled throughout is a smattering of scary, eerie, or downright horrifying scenes/images which add to an overall powerful atmosphere. And the best part about it all is that the film doesn't 'have' to resort to gore. Again, the hair on my arms rose frequently. The opening scene is a killer, as is the closing scene (again, that twist). It's the kind of twist that makes you re-assess everything you've just watched for nearly 2 hours. Some people may find 'The Sixth Sense' dull, or not up to snuff. But I found it interesting, well acted, & truly haunting.