Pretentious, Transparent, Illogical

Rating: 2/10 (1 June 2000)

First: I went to this film knowing very little about it (I deliberately avoided learning too much and having it spoiled) but--c'mon, guys!--I guessed the so-called surprise ending before the lights went down in the theatre! I questioned my guess once or twice but ten minutes in became sadly certain of where the whole movie was going, and then for two long dull hours endured one cheat-filled scene after another designed to keep the audience in the dark. The writer's maintenance of the 'surprise' left the script so full of holes that it looked like a lace curtain. I thought Osment and Willis did nothing special (except keep straight, sombre faces throughout) but I did love Toni Collette and thought she should not only have won an Oscar but a medal. I gave her an 8 and the film a -6 so that worked out to a 2. A *generous* 2!