A Ground-Breaking and enduring film

Rating: 10/10 (13 March 2005)

M. Night Shyamalan intelligently wrote the script for this film and brilliantly directed it. He carefully made the film which causes many audiences to misinterpret the storyline before being surprised by the plot-twist ending. It is not just the shocking ending that made the film. It is the solid character study and good social commentary that makes the film a timeless cinematic gem. After repeated viewings, the surprise is long gone, but it still manage to move me.
Some complain that this film is not scary. I admit that the scare factor is minimal, and there is not much suspense. However, though marketed as a horror-thriller, it is not really meant to be scary. In fact, I feel that the chills are just a bonus. The key genre of this film is drama-mystery. A story which deals with the agony of a child psychologist (well played by Bruce Willis) over his marriage, a career failure, and a difficult patient which reminds him of his failure. A story of how a boy (Haley Joel Osment) having to survive emotional and physical torture, and coping with his worried single mother's (Toni Collette) suspicion over his well-being and abnormalities.
After my careful observation, certain scenes are not just meant to trick audiences or drop hints for the now famous ending. Each of them mean something. However, I am not going to analyze how I interpret them to avoid spoilers. I will just say that this film deserves multiple viewings. Not just to fully comprehend it, but also to appreciate the powerful performances by Haley Joel Osment and Toni Collette.
Their Oscar nominations are well-deserved. Osment portrays the emotion of Cole Sear to perfection. Not only does he bring life into his role, he also effectively controls the atmosphere of the film. It is no wonder that this film earns him international recognitions. Toni Collette, in a relatively small role, plays Lynn Sear with complexity. Her screen time is limited, but her portrayal of the character speaks a lot. The rest of the cast are also good. Bruce Willis is humorous and has great chemistry with Osment. Olivia Williams convincingly double-play her role which is very crucial to the plot twist. Greg Wood is also subtle as a father who lost his daughter.
All in all, an influential masterpiece which, I strongly believe, inspired the well-crafted but inferior "The Others", and many other pretentious films.