M. Night Shyamalan followed up his monster success on THE SIXTH SENSE with this moody take on the superhero origin story. How many days were you sick last year? How many sick days have you taken in the past three years? After walking away from a train crash without a scratch, David Dunn (Bruce Willis, DIE HARD) starts asking these questions. Is there something special about him that he has never noticed?
Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson, PULP FICTION) thinks so. Price has a disease that makes his bones extremely fragile. Breaks happen often. As a child the other kids teased him with the name Mr. Glass. He has been looking for someone like David his whole life. His mirror opposite. David doubts that he is anything more than a security guard. His marriage to his high school sweetheart Audrey (Robin Wright Penn, THE PRINCESS BRIDE) is nearing its end. He was on the train coming back from another failed interview in New York. He's feeling anything but special. But his son Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark, GLADIATOR) becomes obsessed with the idea that his dad might be a real life "superman."
Shyamalan brings the same disquiet to UNBREAKABLE that he brought to THE SIXTH SENSE. For the previous ghost story it seemed an obvious choice, but for the story of an average Joe discovering he has superhuman abilities, it seems odd. But it works. It adds a strange tension to the film that piques the viewer's curiosity. It makes us reluctant about believing that this crazy notion is true. The tone creates the perfect skepticism that this story needs. Shyamalan does this by using long takes and wide shots. It's a great example of unique directing choices improving on the basic story.
For Willis his quiet performance is not much different than his role in THE SIXTH SENSE only more morose. The stand out is Jackson. With his odd Fredrick Douglas-hairstyle he is a peculiar man from first glance. What he has to tell David seems crazy. Jackson gives Price a slightly off kilter appeal, like a mad genius on the verge of a major discovery that will justify his life's work. Is he a man just obsessed with comic book myths or has he found a real life "superhero?" The other question that Price presents is that if David is special what responsibility does he have in using his abilities?
Paced like a slow burn thriller, the film is a ponderous take on the superhero tale. But it's also a story of self-discovery. David Dunn is like many men who have chosen one path in life over another and have regrets because of it. What Price suggests surprisingly plays on those regrets. David must reconcile what he was, what he is and what he can be. In that story, many people can relate. Because that interesting internal story is wrapped in a unique mystery, UNBREAKABLE becomes captivating on an entertainment, emotional and intellectual level.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
