Hey folks, Harry here. All the following reviews do not contain the thing you don't want to know about this film. They don't deal in spoilers, however beware of the TALK BACK headlines, some creep may very well ruin this for you, so stay away from them. If you see that someone has done this, report it to me asap, and I'll ban the muther quick as snot. This is an excellent film even if you do know, I knew when I saw it, but without it... it adds a dimension that is utterly fantastic! Anyways, here's that crusty seaman...
Hey, Harry. Ahoy, constant readers! Quint here once again. You know, I always hear the phrase "sleeper hit of the summer, year, decade, whatever" but I never paid much attention to it because I go into most movies either knowing what they're going to be or with a fairly high expectation of what whatever they will turn out to be. That way films rarely sneak up on me. Either I knew what they were going to be, for good or bad, or they fell short of my expectations. Every once in a while one with slip through though. The only film to do so, in recent memory, was Pulp Fiction.
I had only seen one TV spot and heard all the, "Ohh, John Travolta has been rediscovered!" news, which at that time was totally uninteresting to me. What can I say? I was a young geek that hadn't reached geek maturity yet. I only know of Travolta as the dad in the Look Who's Talking movies. I had made a deal with a movie going friend of mine that we would see 2 flicks that day. I would pick one and she would pick one. I picked Branagh's Frankenstein and she picked Pulp Fiction. Frankenstein pretty much sucked when I thought it would rock and Pulp rocked when I thought it would suck. That's my definition of a sleeper film, a film that I'm positive I know what it is, but it not only turns out differently, but is better for it, that catches me completely off guard and knocks me on my ass. Since Pulp, I haven't had that happen to me. Until the other night.
I had seen the trailer for The 6th Sense, but that was all. After having seen Stir of Echoes, I thought I had this movie pegged for sure. It was going to be a pretty creepy ghost story, just like Stir of Echoes, I thought. I was so wrong. My hat's off to this movie for honestly and totally knocking me on my ass.
Please, please, please, Constant Reader, I implore you, don't let anybody ruin anything about this movie for you! Don't read a "real" critic's review until after you've seen the movie, because a lot of critics seem to rejoice in spoiling terrific moments in films like this. I won't give anything away in this review, but I can't say the same for most critics out there. If you haven't seen the trailer and you're dying to know a little about the movie, well see a few movies in the next week to find the trailer or search around the web. I know it's out there somewhere to download. Trust me, you don't want to know any more than what's on the trailer. Just know that there's ghosts, mysteries and surprises. And that it won't be what you expect.
There is not one scene that I thought was out of place, at least in the context of the whole movie. I was a little iffy about the opening of the film when I was sitting there watching it, but after the movie I saw how every scene fit the story and clicked into place as soon as the credits started rolling. I'm sure, I hope, that most of you out there have had that happen to you at least once before. Where you're watching a film and then that one big piece falls into place and there's an almost audible click as the puzzle is finally revealed. A moment like that is when you see a glimpse of the magic of movies.
The first thing I said to Harry after the film was, "And the Oscar for Best Actor goes to.... Forrest Gump Jr.!" And I was serious. Haley Joel Osment (AKA Forrest Gump Jr.) is simply phenomenal in this film. Harry said to me that Lucas is going to kick himself for not casting Forrest Jr. as Anakin in Episode 1 and even though I had no problem with Jake Lloyd personally, I would tend to agree. This kid is a terrific actor and it's a good thing because the movie rests on his shoulders. If I've seen one actor this year that deserves an Oscar for their performance, it is Forrest Gump Jr. I look forward to his upcoming films. As Chancellor Palpatine says, "We will be watching your career with great interest."
While on the subject of great actors, I have to mention Bruce Willis. Forrest Gump Jr. blows you away with the sheer emotional intensity and talent in his role, which is terrific because that's what his character is and what he as an actor needs to convey. Bruce Willis' role is very low key and at a much different pace than Forrest Jr.'s, which is also perfect because that's his character. Willis is the support, the strength for Forrest Jr.'s character. He's not the one being tormented by his "Sixth Sense," so he wouldn't have the fear behind the eyes, the quaver in the voice, the tear down the cheek. It's great that we have two actors in a movie that not only understand their characters, but work so well together. It's a joy every time they're on screen together. In particular, the nonverbal interview. You'll know it when you see it.
Ultimately, the movie hit dead center at every point for me. When it was scary, I tensed up. When it was funny, I laughed. When it was creepy, I broke out in goosebumps. It worked at all points for. Let me emphasize that. It worked FOR ME. It may not work for you, for whatever reason, but this movie worked strongly for me. I don't remember the drive home, I was so in awe of this movie. The film just put me in a daze and I hope it does the same for you. Afterall, that's the reason why we go to movies in the first place.
PS Wouldn't it be great if you had Forrest Jr going up against Forrest Sr at Oscar time? Osment for Sixth Sense and Hanks for The Green Mile? Who knows, could happen.
Here's our dear Sardonicus' review
Hello, Master Knowles, greetings from the great beyond. Well, I don't reside there myself, but I feel like I was there tonight. No, I wasn't playing Hefty-Bag-facemask again, I caught The Sixth Sense at a sneak preview tonight. I'd only had the trailer to go on to know what to expect, and besides thinking that trailer suffers from the 'give-too-much-away-it is' that most trailers seem to suffer from these days, I had little clue what to expect.
I'd never seen any of M. Night Shyamalan's work, never saw Toni Collette in anything and only had Rushmore to go on in knowing Olivia Williams, so I can tell you I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw tonight.
Shyamalan has written a corker of a script, stylish and lean, and his direction is truly remarkable. The pacing may make some impatient gonzos squirm (as it did with the moron behind me who kept muttering back to the screen), but this is no cheap-scare-a-minute wild-cutting frightfest.
Instead, we get a moody, creepy and suspenseful masterwork, with a gripping story and great, great performances from the whole cast (including an unrecognizable Donnie Wahlberg - I didn't know it was him, and I was looking for him). Toni Collette and Olivia Williams are excellent, but it is Willis and Haley Joel Osment (Forrest Gump Jr.) that are the backbone of this film, and their work is incredible.
Will you be frightened? Yes.
Are there scary moments? Yes.
Are there any gross-out ghoulies jumping out at you or outrageous FX to make you realize that 'this is the scary part and I'm supposed to scream now?' Most definitely not.
What you do get is a convincing and unnerving film that crawls under your skin and waits for the right moment to grab you.
Shyamalan is a talent to watch out for, and Willis continues to amaze me with his keen eye for odd projects that turn out to be fantastic movies. Can't wait to see it again. One bit of advice: Go in cold. Don't read reviews, don't talk to friends. Trust me on this, you'll thank me later.
By the way, there was a trailer for The Insider beforehand, the new title for the next Michael Mann flick. Most trailers are filled with all the good parts, and this one is no exception, with confrontations and screaming galore, but the cast this trailer shows off is very cool: Besides Pacino, Russell Crowe and Christopher Plummer, there's Stephen Tobolowsky, Michael Gambon and Gina Gershon, to name just a few. This trailer and the Mystery, Alaska trailer both ran before the flick, and Crowe looks completely different in each.
Until next time, Master Knowles, be well...
Sardonicus
Here's Fo's look at the film..
Last night, I paid full price for the second week in a row for a sneak preview. I won the week before with The Thomas Crown Affair, which was an excellent, sophisticated crime caper. Could I make it two in a row, and three for three this year? (Sneak preview of Analyze This was the other one)
After seeing Bruce Willis try and play a psychologist, a very non-action, emotionally driven role, and seeing little Forest Gump Jr playing a kid who can see ghosts, I would have to say...........YES!
This movie was excellent! I liked everything about it. But lets not get ahead of ourselves. (AND DO NOT SPOIL THIS MOVIE AT ALL, DOING THAT RUINS THE INTEGRITY OF THE FILM)
The story is about an award-winning child psychiatrist who feels just shitty over failing one of his patients. This revelation happens in probably the most violent scene of the movie, the opening scene, which really isn't an indication of the rest of the movie. After Bruce's failure is complete, the next Fall, he takes on another case, and we soon learn that his life has gone in the toilet. He takes the case for redemption, more for him than the kid.
The Kid, Cole, or Forest if you will, comes from a broken home, and shows every characteristic of Bruce's biggest failure. He's a withdrawn, scared, moody little boy who everyone calls a freak. He doesn't tell his mother anything, anything at all.
After the two of them meet each other, well, the psychology stuff starts, the relationship begins to grow, Bruce's marriage begins to fail, and the fun begins. It all leads up to an ending that is awesome in it's smallness.
When I go to see a movie, when it's over, I ask myself a few questions to determine whether I liked to movie. These questions are: Is it a fun movie to watch? Is it a well made movie? The answers usually are mutually exclusive. I think that most critics are trying to point out whats wrong, technically, with the story, with the acting, with the production, and don't sit back and WATCH the movies in a way that everyone else do....as entertainment.
To answer my two questions......Yes, and yes.
It is fun to watch, and it is a well made movie. When it started, I immediately got a feeling, a mood from it. It was dark, grainy, quiet. It feels like it was made in the 70's, in the era of The Exorcist or The Omen. The scenes in the day take place on overcast or rainy days, which adds to everything, and the use of "Philadelphia" was very convincing. I don't know if it was actually filmed there, but it sure feels like it's shot in the east.
I love the way it was more concerned with the characters and not just the characters abilities. This movie could have been about pissed off ghosts and a boy who turns into some kind of prodigy because he is the only one who saves the day. Well, there are pissed off ghosts, and the boy learns to use his ability to help them, but that's not what the movie is concerned with, it's concerned with the Cole, the boy, and how he is terrified by his ability. The boy did a great job acting, and was totally convincing. I could honestly see the fear on his face, and his moments of happiness when he's with his mom are true.
Bruce Willis plays his character like a broken man, and he does an excellent job, much better than I thought he would. I should have believed he could play a character like this, he's done it before in movies like Nobody's Fool and Pulp Fiction.
This movie wasn't what I expected, and I was pleasantly surprised. It starts off developing the characters, and really doesn't get rolling with the ghost until about half way through it. That was the part I liked the most, it took it's time, which created a more normal atmosphere which made the appearances of the ghosts more impactful than it would if they were around the whole time.
All in all, I didn't waste my money, I had a great time in a corwded movie theater that was quiet for most of it, because everyone knew ghosts were coming, but no one knew when. When the scares came, people (mostly women and men who scream like women) screamed, and in the scenes that were in there for an emotional response, I could hear and feel that response. It's the way a movie is supposed to be watched, and I didn't even hear a cell phone or a beeper go off once! (I almost hurt the person whose cell phone went off in The Blair Witch Project.)
On a scale of 10, this movie gets an 8.695863, the highest rating of any movie I saw last night.
That's all from me,
Fo
Here's Agent Jaysel's
The Sixth Sense --- the people I went to see it with all were thinking it was going to be Mercury Rising meets Good Will Hunting meets The Shining judging on the trailer we've seen before (how they have arrived at the point where they actually linked The Shining with Mercury Rising is beyond me), but whoa, what a pleasantly spooky surprise it was after we've seen the movie.
I'll spare the readers with the detailed story as past reviewers must have already covered that bit, but I felt compelled to write you and uege you to print this letter and reiterate to your readers how bloody delicious the ending to this film is...I've had the misfortune of reading a spoiler warning free review on another site before seeing the movie and had had some degree of knowledge of how it was going to end, still, it came as a mind blowing conclusion to me, I thought the ending was the ONLY way to conclude this story and what a genius M. Night Shymalan is to have come up with this idea. I must admit I am not very familiar with Shyamalan with the exception of his annoying but harmless tale "Wide Awake" (featuring Rosie O'Donnell as a baseball loving nun), but I must say his work in this film is truly worth a look, and I may watch it several times again myself when it hits the screens. What impressed me was his subtle and clever use of metaphors to heighten the tension between Bruce's character and the kid.
The gem to watch out for I thought was little Haley Joel Osment, I remember really going "awwwww" when he first appeared as Forrest Gump, Jr. and going "blech!" in that much maligned movie "Bogus" with Depardieu and Goldberg, but Osment, now maybe 12 years old shone like a true acting gold mine in this movie, he was the make-or-break element in this film, not Bruce Willis (who did fine but nothing extraordinary), and he carried the picture on his shoulders and ran with it all the way for a touchdown. I'm pleased that his agents/handlers didn't relegate his career to sitcom-ville or cutesy Casper like roles, and went with something far more edgy and risky like The Sixth Sense, it will pay off handsomely. Jonthan Lipnicki and MacAuley Culkin he ain't. He gripped the audience with genuine show of fear and uncertainty.
If I had to nitpick and single out something I didn't like about this movie, it's the timing of its release. After The Haunting and Blair Witch Project and other so-called scary thrillers with monsters like Deep Blue Sea (or Deep Bull Shit as some of my companiions called it) and Lake Placid (they called it Lake Flaccid), are audiences going to muster enough appetite for another round of spooks? It may have been better in the Fall, I felt, but hey, I don't run Hollywood, and until I do, I can only whine as an anonymous entity writing to you, Heed Geek.
This is Agent Jaysel signing off...
