It could have been so much better...

Rating: 7/10 (30 June 2002)

This film could have been great. There was an intriguing plot behind it all and a quality cast. Unfortunately, Bruce Willis gives a reprise of his 6th Sense performance (under-acted and wooden) and whilst it may have worked in 6th Sense it was completely out of place here. And the script for the most part was either hopelessly unrealistic (with Willis' screen family communicating in knowing looks and monosyllabic utterances) or cringeworthy (some of Jackson's more prosaic lines). I love films that are about extraordinary things happening to ordinary people, but the characters in this film were just to weird to begin with so the effect was lost. On a plus note the photography was excellent (alebeit with the director's slightly heavy-handed imagery) and Jackson commanded the screen every time he was on it (no mean feat with the script). I just think it could have been so much better with a better dramatic actor playing the lead (sorry Bruce!) and a script that didn't try and load every line with a sense of mystery. The Green Mile is an example of how it could have been done. Still, 7/10 ain't bad.