THE SIXTH SENSE PG-13
Starring Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams, and Bruce Willis
Eric says: ********** (10)
I simply don't know how a movie from this genre could be done any better. Superb acting in an understated story with a whopper of a payoff is magical. The scares were so sparse and visceral that I really was scared with Cole Sear.I was a little kid all over again knowing that if I just kept under the blanket, the monsters might not see me. Bruce Willis is wonderful as an understated, bland even, psychiatrist who sees in the young boy a chance to exorcise some of his own personal demons, as the boy realizes that Bruce is different from the others. Their relationship is the meat and potatoes of the movie. Just as important, and as well performed, is the relationship between the troubled youth and his mother, displaying a real bond of love, anger, confusion, and frustration. Believe me, those are definitely real parental feelings. We also get to see the deteriorating relationship between the psychiatrist and his wife as they seemingly ignore each other. The distance grows throughout the story until we have a real sympathy for both characters.
"The Sixth Sense" does in one plot point alone what "What Dreams May Come" had attempted throughout the entire movie (but what gorgeous visuals!). It also elevates ghost stories. Now I just hope no one lowers the bar again.
--One Quote I Love: "You know those bumps on the back of your neck when you're scared - that's them."
David says: ********** (10)
This is a movie that needs to be seen twice, to see how well it holds up once the end is known - many of the scenes are open to re-interpretation in a delightful way. This movie is well scripted and very well acted, and I left the theater wanting to know how it continues (how does Cole grow up?).
1 minor point - how did Cole know that the teacher stuttered? This isn't really a proper plot hole (which I can't tolerate, and feel obliged to point out), and did give an excellent view of his "regular" life..
The cinemarography was quite good - several long shots of beautiful neighborhoods, and good camara angles designed to limit your perceptions.