THE SIXTH SENSE A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 1999 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2
Back in the 1930s, the Academy gave out small Oscars for the best juvenile performance of the year. (This was before the word juvenile became a pejorative.) It is a shame that this practice has fallen by the wayside, since young Haley Joel Osment (the little boy from BOGUS) would win this year's award hands down for his incredible work as the star of THE SIXTH SENSE.
Bruce Willis, who costars with Osment, delivers one of the strongest performances of his career and still manages to be upstaged by the talented youngster. "The most amazing child actor I've ever seen" is how Willis refers to Osment in the film's press notes. "I rank this kid up there with the best adult actors I've worked with over the years." After seeing the child's brilliant work in this remarkable film, Willis's observations are easy to agree with.
THE SIXTH SENSE, written and directed with subtly and grace by M. Night Shyamalan, doesn't fit neatly into any genre, no matter what the trailers might lead you to believe. Perhaps the best way to define it is to say what it isn't. It's not a horror movie, although there are some frightening images. The script is too interior and intellectual to be considered a traditional thriller, but you will find yourself on the edge of your seat. The movie isn't a comedy even though there are plenty of appreciated opportunities for laughter to break the film's intensity. Finally, it isn't a romance, but love is a major theme.
So what is it? Any category you put it in would be needlessly limiting and inappropriate. Suffice it to say that it's a film that will surprise and mesmerize you. It's the sort of film that's liable to elicit a "wow" at the conclusion.
This review will give only the briefest of outline to the story, less than the trailers provide, so that there is no fear of revealing any of the fascinating details of the plot.
Award winning child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Willis) goes to help 8-year-old Cole Sear (Osment). A frightened loner, who's called a freak at school, Cole has a secret that he will not reveal to anyone. "You're nice, but you can't help me," Cole tells Malcolm. This is a boy so troubled that he steals religious figurines from church in order to increase the size of the altar in the hidden place in his bedroom.
In his tenderest performance ever, Willis shows his empathy for the boy's troubles. Malcolm had a bad incident with a previous patient, and he views Cole as his chance, perhaps his last chance, to make amends. The guilt-ridden Malcolm is also having trouble in his marriage. His wife, Anna (Olivia Williams from RUSHMORE), doesn't understand him anymore, and they both suffer from depression.
One day, the very serious boy decides to reveal his secret to the doctor, something he hasn't been willing to do with his mother. "I see dead people," he claims. "They don't know they're dead. They only see what they want to see." But is there any truth in this?
Tak Fujimoto's dark, intense cinematography reflects the somber tone of the two protagonists' troubles. The complex and rewarding script blends in a strong life-affirming aspect to the melancholy story. The touching film moves with great delicacy as it reveals its truths. The cinematic equivalent of a page-turner, the movie keeps your eyes glued to the screen. The writer respects the intelligence of the audience, saving the answers to many of the key questions that the story poses for as long as possible.
As the ending credits roll, you'll be busy discussing the film with everyone around you. One subject of the conversation will undoubtedly be that you want to see it again. It's that good and that intriguing.
THE SIXTH SENSE runs 1:54. It is rated PG-13 for intense thematic material and violent images and would be fine for teenagers. An R rating might have been more appropriate.
Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com
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