The Sixth Sense

After being shot by a former patient (Donnie Wahlberg,) Dr Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is having trouble relating to his wife, Anna (Olivia Williams) and their marriage is off track. Dr. Crowe takes his first new patient since the shooting in a young boy, Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment,) a disturbed soul who claims he sees dead people. His mother Lynne (Toni Collette,) a single parent is protective and scared their small family is falling apart. Things surrounding them are not all they seem and Cole is afraid to tell her the truth, and he doesn't want to be scared anymore.

This film is built from its foundations to make its audience feel off-kilter with the photography, music, acting direction and long cuts. James Newton Howard's score is partially an homage to old hysterical thrillers, the screeching violins and minimalistic scope. The tension in the score with long codas and discordant outbursts assists the audience (me in this case) to jump at the right places and engage in Cole's terror. The etherial combination of the strings and the piano drives the audience to believe Cole's story and also to hope for help.

The prolonged silences between edits draws out the frustration in the story releasing the emotion needed to connect the audience to the story and the character's in it. I'm drawn to hope that Cole gets through his terror and confronts the problem, I'm also drawn to see Dr. Crowe and his wife get back on even footing. The beautiful mechanics of this film is what engages the soul.

The crux of this film is in the acting direction, photography, editing and acting. There are wonderful subtleties with the way the film is shot, certain angles are only revealed at the beginning while others are used in the denouement to reveal more, cluing the audience into what's really going on. The acting and directing is equally clever, hiding the true nature of the universe director Shaymanlan has created. What something looks like may not be what it really is, so look carefully.

As much as I am not a "child" character lover, nor a big fan of child actors, I fully respect the work put into Mr. Osment's Cole. He captures both frightened child, but gives him an adult wisdom which allows he and Mr Willis' Dr. Crowe to switch roles sometime during the second half. Bruce Willis' Crowe is both warm and savvy, but also childlike and innocent. His chemistry with Osment flows between the two actors connecting them emotionally, clicking together so well. Also great is how the chemistry fits with Ms. Collette and Osment. Their mother-son relationship is completely solid, credible and beautiful.

The Denouement is something I cannot discuss. For all you newbies; you must see it for yourself. The twist is all the point. And, in typical Shaymalan fashion, it stings with finesse, beauty and skill.

****

In: Toni Collette

Out: Bruce Willis

Coming Soon: 12 Monkeys