Fable about Self-Realization

Rating: 7/10 (16 May 2001)

Unbreakable is quiet and moody. The style is very still and almost claustrophobic, as though the world the characters live in is very small. I liked this, but more than that I loved the story, which is about discovery... self-realization. It was something I could relate to my own life and experience. The director picked a risky subject for a big-budget film. I like the way he depicts husbands and wives; the relationship between David (Willis) and Audrey (Wright Penn) is very beautiful. I could feel their awkwardness, their sorrows, their hopes. The director is very special in that he has the ability to create a plot so grand that it bears hard on the imagination, yet he keeps his characters subtle and ordinary. This is a good balance. The result is drama, not melodrama. Due to its pacing (compare a vinyl record to a compact disc), lack of special effects, and melancholy tone (without horror or gore as a "reason"), this film will not appeal to a lot of people. Personally, it was one of my top five films of 2000.