Screenplay by M. Night Shyamalan
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

Review by Jenn

Steve and I tend to agree that for the most part many new movies (pardon the expression) suck. There are, however, a few notable exceptions, and Unbreakable is one of these. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised since it was written and directed by newcomer M. Night Shyamalan, who also wrote and directed The Sixth Sense.

Unbreakable shares a number of similarities with The Sixth Sense that suggests the emergence of a distinctive style belonging to Shyamalan, not the least of which is an angst-ridden leading man portrayed by Bruce Willis. In Unbreakable, Willis plays David Dunn, a middle-aged security guard whose deep-rooted identity crisis is causing a rift between himself and his wife and young son, along with a continual vague sadness and dissatisfaction with life in general. This is further complicated when David is involved in a devastating train crash - and emerges as the sole survivor, completely unscathed.

Enter Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson). Elijah is about the same age as David, but here their similarity ends. The owner of Limited Edition, a gallery that specializes in comic book and graphic novel art, Elijah is suffering from a rare disorder in which his body does not produce enough protein, leaving his bones so brittle and frail that they break under a relatively small amount of pressure. After the train wreck, Elijah approaches David with a wild theory: that Dunn has a condition the opposite of Elijah's own; that, like the comic book superheroes of old, David is "unbreakable." Now the question arises in David's mind and the minds of his family - is he truly gifted with special powers and a unique destiny, or is Elijah's mind broken with long years of chronic pain and illness and a need for understanding?

I suggest keeping a sharp eye out for films by Shyamalan. He's 2:2 with Unbreakable, a superb director as well as gifted writer. He relies a good bit on unique camera angles, coming up with some very interesting shots to help enhance the mood. He seems to favor dark shots, blues and grays, and this is especially apt in Unbreakable - particularly when a sudden primary color will appear, giving an overall scene the sense of the comic book theme that the story embraces. Nor is plot neglected - the story is riveting, the music tasteful, the acting well-done (some of the scenes between Willis and his on-screen son Joseph are particularly poignant. And, just like in The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan once again caught me totally off-guard with a unique and unexpected plot twist. This film does justice to any suspense thriller out there.

January, 2002