Unbreakable review : Ultimately disappointing
(First published in 2000)
I was expecting this to be a great film. The trailer had promised something special, something dark, supernatural and thought provoking. The cinema was packed, and I sat confidently in my seat.
Unbreakable, is written and directed by, M. Night Shyamalan who also did Sixth Sense. Sixth Sense has a sucker-punch knockout finish. Unbreakable tried to do the same but the finish was very disappointing.
Bruce Willis plays a quiet, unassuming man, called David Dunn. The first time we see him, he is on a train, travelling home from a job interview. I can safely mention that the train crashes because this fact is revealed in the trailer. Most modern directors would have gone for a spectacular train crash scene but M. Night Shyamalan - who also wrote the script - cleverly omits it altogether, which actually enhances the spooky feel.
We next see him in the hospital where an astounded doctor is baffled by the fact that he is the only survivor out of over 170 fatalities - and completely unscathed. This is the premise for the whole film and the questions are whether David Dunn is really unbreakable, if so why, and what are the implications?
The sub-plot revolves around his wife and young son. David Dunn is clearly a troubled man and this has affected his relationship with his wife and child. They are still living together, but sleep separately. If successful in the job interview, it will help him start a new life in New York - alone.
Samuel L Jackson plays opposite him as an ultimately bitter man Elijah Price, cursed with a debilitating genetic condition that leaves his bones so delicate that the slightest knock will break them. Jackson plays him well and manages to portray the character in a pathetic yet powerful way.
The story unfolds in a confidently paced way, although some may call it slow. The trailer implies it’s a supernatural thriller but although it starts off looking that way, it turns out to be something quite different. In a way it is clever and I thought, OK so it’s not what I expected, it’s a new approach to an old film genre but done in a highly unusual way. Unfortunately though, the film ultimately failed to deliver its promise and it is the ending that I take issue with. It unexpectedly finishes just as things have finally taken off and you’re primed, ready for some action.
The finish felt wrong to me, and spoiled what up to then had been an unusual and thought provoking tale. There was nothing wrong with the final twist, I suppose it’s just the fact that the whole twist revelation is over and done with so quickly and suddenly that it felt dissatisfying. It was as though the film had to have an unexpected twist come hell or high water and if this spoiled the whole feel of the film then it was regrettable - but that’s show biz. I left the cinema very disappointed and I hate when that happens.
Written by Andy(ArT)Trigg on April 14th, 2008 with
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