Unbreakable (2000) Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright Penn, Charlayne Woodard, Spencer Treat Clark, James Handy, Eamonn Walker, Elizabeth Lawrence, Leslie Stefanson, M. Night Shyamalan. Score by James Newton Howard. Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. 107 minutes. Rated PG-13, 2.5 stars (out of five stars)
Review by Ed Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly www.nuvo.com Archive reviews at http://us.imdb.com/ReviewsBy?Edward+Johnson-Ott To receive reviews by e-mail at no charge, send subscription requests to ejohnsonott@prodigy.net or e-mail ejohnsonott-subscribe@onelist.com with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.
Last year, writer-director M. Night Shyamalan unveiled "The Sixth Sense," a thoughtful, low-key thriller that became one of the biggest hits of all time. In my initial notes for the film, I addressed the slow pace of the story, scribbling "there's a thin line between deliberate and plodding." After being flattened in the closing moments by Shyamalan's now-legendary plot twist, I saw the movie again and decided that, for the most part, the pacing was necessary for the payoff of the story to work so well.
A year later, Shyamalan returns with "Unbreakable," another somber mystery. Comparisons with "The Sixth Sense" are unavoidable, as both films star Bruce Willis and feature compelling trailers promising an exploration of otherworldly matters coupled with a surprise ending. Sadly, "Unbreakable" lacks the punch of its predecessor, hampered by a weak plot, anemic supporting characters and a needlessly abrupt wrap up. As for pacing, forget "deliberate." "Plodding" is definitely the operative word this time around.
The story begins in 1961 Philadelphia, with the birth of Elijah Price, who enters the world with broken arms and legs. We learn that the child suffers from Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a condition that renders bones extremely brittle.
Cut to the present, as security guard David Dunn (Willis) heads home by train following an out of town job interview. The camera acts as peeping tom, gliding behind seats to catch David slipping off his wedding ring and flirting with an attractive fellow passenger. When the young woman moves away, he puts the ring back on and stares out the window, only to notice that the train is going much too fast.
Later, David emerges from the examination area at a local emergency room to find everyone staring at him. A physician explains that, of the 132 people onboard the train, David is the sole survivor of a nightmarish derailment… and he doesn't have a scratch on him.
Moved by the experience, David and his wife Audrey (Robin Wright Penn) agree to try and fix their strained relationship. Otherwise, life returns to normal for the ex-football star, until he receives a note reading, "How many days of your life have you been sick?" A bit of investigation leads David to the author of the note, Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson). The crippled man, a dealer in comic book art, moves cautiously with a cane while projecting a skewed air of elegance. Because of his disability, Elijah (nicknamed Mr. Glass) is obsessed with the concept of strength, and he has a theory about David.
That's as much as can be revealed without spoiling the story. Unfortunately, Shyamalan spoils the story on his own.
"The Sixth Sense" was able to twist and turn because the plot was rock solid. Not so in "Unbreakable," which must rely on atmosphere and coincidence to support its flimsy storyline. Actually, there is very little story at all. What happens in the 107 minute running time would serve as the first half of most movies. But Shyamalan drags moments out, determined to establish and maintain an operatic tone. At times he succeeds, and those grand hushed segments are a welcome change from the noise and clutter of most films. But too often, he slides into tedium and pretension.
And he simply didn't think through his own concept. In the course of the film, David realizes that he possesses two highly unusual traits, which begs the question: How in the world could a man go through his life without noticing these things about himself?
I wanted to be swept away by "Unbreakable," but just couldn't make the leap. Regardless of one's belief system (or lack thereof), life after death fascinates most people, and "The Sixth Sense" drew on that allure. But the supernatural concept in "Unbreakable" merely reflects adolescent fantasizing. The idea doesn't resonate, and as a result, the presentation style comes off as ponderous and overblown (the film is reminiscent of a typical origin story from Marvel Comics, the sort of thing that might be titled "And Thus a Hero Is Born").
Where "The Sixth Sense" gave us a number of fully realized characters, "Unbreakable" offers two people and several rough sketches. Robin Wright Penn has little to do except look pallid, while Spencer Treat Clark is sympathetic, but generic as David and Audrey's son. Charlayne Woodard sparkles as Elijah's mother, but only turns up for a few seconds.
In one of the lead parts, Bruce Willis suitably underplays his role, projecting the unspoken frustration of a man who aches because he has not lived up to his potential. But the real star of the show is Samuel L. Jackson, who, with wild eyes and an unkempt Afro, casts a mesmerizing, vaguely threatening presence. Jackson skillfully creates a character that at once seems like a visionary and a crackpot, only to betrayed by the screenplay.
"Unbreakable" concludes with a revelation and then just stops, with a few on-screen sentences telling us what happened next. Imagine watching Darth Vader intone, "Luke, I am your father," only to have the film freeze at that point, with the words LUKE WENT ON TO GREATNESS, WHILE DARTH VADER COMMITTED MANY MORE VILE DEEDS, REDEEMING HIMSELF ONLY MOMENTS BEFORE HIS DEATH pasted over their faces and you'll know what to expect.
M. Night Shyamalan is a talented writer and director. Hopefully, he'll spend a little more time on the script before making his next… AND THEN THE REVIEW ENDED.
© 2000 Ed Johnson-Ott
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