Unbreakable a film review by Chad Polenz
I used to be a comic book geek. I loved comics so much as a kid that I actively pursued a career in comic book art... but that didn't pan out. If you had ever used the words "comics" and "stupid" in the same breath within my earshot I would have rebutted you for every irrational generalization you had made. Some people get hostile over social issues like racism and abortion - trying to convince the world comics weren't just for kids and are the missing link in the worlds of literature and art was my cause.
I'll bet M. Night Shymalan feels the same way. His film "Unbreakable" is as close as a Hollywood will probably ever get to making a "comic book movie." Forget those campy Batman flicks and other special effects extravaganzas we get every summer, this is what would happen if a man really had super powers.
The first rule of comics is that the origin is the nucleus of the characters. For some reason when it comes to superheroes we tend to be more interested in where they came from rather than when they beat the villains. Pick up any comic book price guide and you'll see that the first appearance and/or origin of a character is worth FAR much more than the death or defeat of their arch nemesis. "Unbreakable" is basically one long origin story of the hero, not an action-packed "quest for justice" machine. We've had movies about that stuff for years, but when's the last time someone took the time to examine how the hero came to be a hero?
Bruce Willis stars as David Dunn, a security guard at a college in Philadelphia who's on the verge of divorce with his wife and tries to keep a relationship with his 10-year-old son. As the film opens we see him on a train, he slips off his wedding band to flirt with an attractive woman who's just taken a seat next to him. Next we cut to his son watching a TV news report of a huge train wreck and he realizes his dad was on the train. We then cut to a hospital emergency room where David is being looked at by a doctor and receives word that he's the only survivor of that train wreck and he doesn't have a scratch on him. How is that possible? David has no idea and the doctors aren't like those typical movie doctors who want to keep him in the hospital to do experiments on him to find out what's so special about him. David simply walks away and goes back to living his life as if nothing had happened.
David's introductory scenes are intercut with a completely different storyline about an African-American boy named Elijah who's been cursed with a rare genetic disorder that makes his bones very frail and his body easily susceptible to injury. His mother loves him deeply and wants him to still be able to interact with society so she gets him to cross the street to a playground where Elijah opens a present to find a comic book.
In the present day he's the same age as David and owns and operates an art gallery made up exclusively of original comic-related art. We see him showing a piece to a customer describing the picture in the kind of detail that mueseum curators and art history teachers would use to discuss a Picasso or a Van Gough. Samuel L. Jackson co-stars as the adult Elijah in one of his best performances ever. He's deadly serious about comics being an artform to be appreciated and studied as any other and Jackson's words, especially as penned by Shymalan are quite moving. He's one of those characters whose intellect and deep philosophies make him seem dastardly. He points out small bits of truth and details others overlook, but other than having an unhealthy love for comics there's nothing physically threatening to him.
David and Elijah meet and discuss the possibility that David might be some kind of super mortal. Elijah's theory is that if everything in the universe is balanced there must be someone out there who's the exact opposite of him and that person could be the real-life superhero humanity has been searching for ever since fairytales have been told.
There's not much point of further elaborating on the plot. What makes "Unbreakable" so fascinating is how it tells its story of personal discovery. This is a character-driven story, therefore explosions and chases aren't necessary. Shymalan's direction is one of the most original methods I've ever seen, something so powerful and well-composed it rivals Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock. This film is a visual feast for those who are looking c losely. He makes great use of steadicam shots as well as crane shots and just plain old generic two-shots. Shymalan keeps the mix fresh, constantly experimenting and has such a great screenplay to accompany it that the slow-motion overly-dramatic sequences don't come off as trite and cheesy. His dialogue is also EXTREMELY low-key, mellow and passive. I'm sure that will put off many viewers but I found it to be a great mood enhancer, plus it is consistent. There's no bubbly cartoony lovable characters here, even the 10-year-old son is an introvert - he's not running all over the place or playing video games, he honestly wants to take care of his father. Most child characters in a setting like this would brag about their father's super abilities and try to turn them into a comic book superhero, instead, Joseph just lives in awe of what his dad can do and obeys his orders.
I remember the exact moment I realized this film was excellent. It comes just as the second act transitions into the third and it's clear to both us and David he is a super man of sorts, but what can and will he do with his "powers"? I asked myself, "How is this going to end?" and I had absolutely no idea. There's no nasty evil supervillain with magic powers for David to fight against, so how will the story climax? I was shocked when I realized I couldn't even guess at the answer and I was so psyched to find out.
When you've got a movie with metaphysical philosophies and themes about the battle between good and evil it's probably going to end in a fantastic triumph. This film does just that as our hero maximizes the use of his powers to find out what he's needed to do. All heroes have one achille's heel and this story exploits that notion too, building terrific suspense with a real feeling that justice has been served.
And that's not even the actual ending which will blow your mind.
Take it from someone who's seen more than his share of movies and read more than his share of comics, "Unbreakable" is one of the most original and enjoyable works of fiction to come along in years.
GRADE: A
------------------------------------------------------------------------ You can also read this review at: http://www.epinions.com/mvie-review-2F0A-4B0B31B0-3A5A2A2A-prod3 And other reviews on the same topic at: http://www.epinions.com/mvie Check out my profile page at: http://www.epinions.com/user-chad9976
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