Underrated

Rating: 9/10 (26 January 2006)

When I first saw this film I already knew what the 'twist' was thanks to a friend of mine telling me all about it. However,I still enjoyed the film. The story is good but not amazing. What made this film great for me was the whole visual experience, this is what I watch films for. The cinematography was beautiful, every shot incredibly rich and textured. Admittedly, Shyamalan's direction draws on Spielberg and Hitchcock but he does what he does very well. The performances he gets from the actors are brilliantly subtle and a joy to watch. Finally I found the music by James Newton Howard so moving that I went and bought the CD as soon as I could. I know opinions are split on Shyamalan's films but after this I cant wait for 'Lady in the Water'. Go see this film but don't expect the scary monster movie it was promoted as at the time of release.