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"Making
Sense of 'Sense'"
by Scott Mantz
"The Sixth Sense"
Bruce
Willis, Haley Joel Osment
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
This has certainly
been a summer full of surprises, some good and others not-so-good.
On the not-so-good side we have "The Haunting", which did anything
but that at the box office. On the good side, "The Blair Witch Project"
came out of nowhere and scared the willies out of us, and the timely
"Arlington Road" brought a real threat home, with a killer ending
to boot. Well, you can add another film to the good side. "The Sixth
Sense" is an intensely-paced, smart supernatural thriller that could
be the sleeper hit of the summer.
Oh, there's
one more surprise--Bruce Willis can really act! Actually, you've
got to admire Willis. He knows how to play the Hollywood game. Just
when you've had enough of his mind-numbing "paycheck" films, he
gets back to basics and re-discovers his acting chops. He did it
back in 1994. After a string of flops he did a little movie called
"Pulp Fiction", which gave him some of the best reviews of his career.
Even though "Armageddon" made a ton of cash, he hasn't had much
to be proud of lately (see "Mercury Rising"? Me neither.).
Malcome Crowe
(Bruce Willis) is a child psychologist in Philadelphia who tries
to unlock the mind of the imaginative Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment).
It seems young Cole can see dead people as easily as we see the
people around us. He doesn't know why, and he keeps his secret from
everyone, including his frustrated, but well-meaning, mother. Crowe,
out to redeem himself after a botched experience with a previous
patient, is willing to take all the time he needs to help the boy,
even at the expense of his own marriage.
Director Shyamalan
effectively sets the mood of dread with an intense style that would
make Chris Carter ("The X-Files") proud. Osment turns in a sympathetic
and, dare I say it, Oscar-worthy performance as the tortured boy,
and we feel for him as he finally opens up to Willis. The sense
of redemption Crowe feels in helping the young boy is intense, made
so perhaps by Willis' own desire to redeem himself as an actor.
As a result, Willis gives an excellent, understated, and compassionate
performance.
"The Sixth Sense"
is one of those films that you think you know as you go along, but
it pulls the rug right out from under you in one of the best surprise
endings to come along in some time. The intensity builds, but no
matter how hard you try, you cannot see it coming. However, pay
attention. When you go back and think about it, all the clues leading
up to the finale are right there in front of you, making sense after
all.
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