A Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (22 March 2006)

A perfect balance. Sad, but not self-pitying. Triumphant, but not cheesy. Frightening, but never grotesque. Shocking, but not gimmicky. Touching without being cheap. Visually it is stunning. There are some truly amazing shots, the attention to color is appreciated. Haley Joel Osment as Cole is extraordinary. What a promising career ahead of him. Bruce Willis, as a workaholic child psychologist, ought to be extremely proud of this, as it may be some of his best work. Tender, brooding, regretful, determined. Perfect. Toni Collette, is really phenomenal. I think she gets overlooked, but with any less talented actress, the film would have certainly suffered.
I watched this film again recently, absolutely certain I would have lost some of the awe I had for it since last watching it on the big screen seven years ago. I was pleasantly surprised. It was just as moving, eerie, and beautiful. An obvious top five film of all time for me. Quite the freshman effort from Mr. Shayamalan.