Unbreakable Review
by Tim Wick
WARNING: If you mistakenly reached this page, go back! This page contains
spoilers regarding Unbreakable. Though I will not reveal any of the
important stuff, I will reveal more than you really should know. Just go.
Now for the rest of you that have (I hope) seen the movie. Some of you
agree
with me that this movie is fantastic. Others think I'm crazy. So let's
talk
about it.
The danger that Shymalan faced in creating this movie was that he was under
the microscope. Thousands of geeky fans were anxiously awaiting his next
film since we all got blown away by The Sixth Sense. We saw the
intentionally vague previews for Unbreakable and quietly whispered "oh
yeah!"
But that's a lot of pressure. How do you follow up a film like The Sixth
Sense?
With this one. All of Shymalan's best traits are here. His willingness to
use static shots. His limited use of color - typically to accentuate a
character or event of importance. His deft creation of character -
characters that unfold slowly, but have incredible depth. His ability to
bring fine performences out of young actors. His recognition that Bruce
Willis most certainlly can act.
In many ways, this film is similar to The Sixth Sense, but he still gives it
a unique stamp. The film is about the reality that must be behind comic
books. To accentuate that, he frames every shot as a comic book panel. He
uses light, darkness and line as a comic book artist would. He shot this
film exactly as it had to be shot to tell the story.
Willis, who will probably never win an Academy Award, proves once again that
there is an actor underneath that action star. Anyone who saw The Sixth
Sense or Pulp Fiction or 12 Monkeys should know that. If you even
recognized
him in Death Becomes Her, you should know that. Once again, he proves his
ability here. What would you do if you came to the slow realization that
you
had never been sick, never had a broken bone, never even scratched yourself?
You would deny it. You would try to find some proof that you had been sick,
or hurt.
Samuel L Jackson may have the most unfortunate hairdo in film this year, but
his work is fantastic.
But credit for both performances must go primarily to Shymalan. His script
makes these characters so complete that each action seems natural. The
actors simply have to read the words and they cannot help but portray the
characters correctly because it is all so obvious.
Again, the direction is terrific. I can think of a few scenes that are good
examples. Jackson's fall is one. The scenes in the kitchen are two others
(if you don't know what I'm talking about GO SEE THE MOVIE).
I could expound forever. Shymalan is as close to a new Hitchcock as we are
likely to see. There are strong rumors that Unbreakable was the first film
of a trilogy. What will happen next for the Raincoat Man and Mr. Glass?
I'm
certain I won't be the only person who wants to know.
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