A more meaningful movie than the Sixth Sense

Rating: 8/10 (25 November 2000)

***Spoilers***
I am in awe of people that did not like this movie or thought that it was worse than "The Sixth Sense." I won't go into a comparison only because the movie stands on its on as a social commentary and a homage to comic books. It was well-done. The acting and cinematography were above expectations.
To me, the most poignant point of the story was that everyone has skeletons. Examples: The train station scene where Dunne has to decide which evil to pursue. Dunne, being a less than ideal father. To put a "hero" in situations where he has to deal with major and minor evils was a welcome change from the standard "get the bad guy" plot.
Second, as a former comic book fan, I wanted to kick myself for not seeing the twist. I think all who have seen it will admit subtle clues were present all along. As a side note, this movie has a lot in common with the "Talented Mr. Ripley." They both answer the question of how someone gets to the point where they wind up as a villian.
My last heap of praise is admitedly on a subject I know little about. From the opening til close, the camera work was spell-binding. A full train-wreck scene would have spoiled the pacing. I found Robin Wright-Penn's character under-developed, but was impressed by the skill and emotion that she conveyed to us.
My only real knock is the curt ending. It was not a long movie, so why not finish it up in the deliberate style that it started? As a mini-knock, Price's mother and Dunne's wife should have been used more.