Absorbing

Rating: 10/10 (25 November 2000)

Director M. Night Shyamalan has a way with depth and emotion in his latest movie, "Unbreakable". After watching the extended footage and interviews with Shyamalan from "The Sixth Sense" DVD, I was quite confident that I would be able to spoil any surprise ending he could throw my way. It is clear that Shyamalan is incredibly gifted in the art of misdirection. I honestly had no clue how the movie would end, and it was very rewarding in a way that "The Sixth Sense" was not.
"Unbreakable" isn't a tearjerker.. This isn't a movie aimed at your heart nearly as much as it's aimed at your mind. "The Sixth Sense" was, in my opinion, much more of a warm and fuzzy movie than "Unbreakable" is. A lot has been said about how Shyamalan movies end. Without giving anything away, I'll just say that this one is much more open to conversation than "The Sixth Sense" was. After we left the theater, it was very rewarding to talk about the "clues and hints" that were placed in the movie along the way.. and of COURSE we were left with the feeling that in no way has Shyamalan cheated the viewers, or created something that isn't coherent.
Bruce Willis has come a LONG way in his acting abilities. I never would have guessed that his career would have taken this path. I sort of mentally typecast him in "Die Hard" and "Armageddon" type movies for the rest of his life. Its clear that he is a capable actor with a broad range of facial reactions and emotion. Half of the fun of "Unbreakable" is watching Bruce Willis react to his enviroment as we slowly begin to understand whats going on.
I can only hope that M. Night Shyamaln's career is just starting, and that many more movies are to come like this one. They just keep getting better and better. I'm still frustrated at myself for not figuring out the ending however ;) I guess that is the way Shyamalan likes it. Fine by me.