Disappointing

Rating: 5/10 (30 August 2004)

I assume you've read the storyline elsewhere, so I'll skip it.
I was profoundly disappointed by this movie. Shyamalan has shown himself to be a unique and utterly capable director (Sixth Sense, Signs) but also not infallible (the utterly boring Unbreakable). Here he is on Unbreakable territory. He completely indulges himself in every little thing, assuming the viewer is so captivated in what he has to say here, which in the end is nothing special at all. Worst of all, he has little flashbacks of dialouge near the end, telling us that "intelligent viewers" could have figured out the plot.
What's most irritating is that I get the feeling he crams these surprise twists just for the sake of surprise twists. He did it brilliantly with The Sixth Sense, but here, it seems idiotic. But to say this movie is bad is not a fair assessment. Shyamalan is very good at creating a moody athmosphere and he can create genuine suspense out of almost nothing. He makes me jump out of my seat a few times, with well timed shocks (maybe he should make a full blown horror film). But when the end result is anything but interesting, what preceeds it seems somehow a cheat, a false buildup. The packaging looks good, but there's no substance.
Another plus are the performances. William Hurt is excellent, it's always nice to see Sigourney Weaver and Phoenix is his usual good, but somehow sterotypical, self.
5 out of 10.