Friday, October 31, 2014

The Sixth Sense Review









The Sixth Sense


Release Date: 7th October 1999 - Australia


Production Companies
Hollywood Pictures
Spyglass Entertainment
The Kennedy/Marshall Company

Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion
Pictures Australia


Genre: Thriller

Rating: M

Runtime: 107 minutes


Budget: $40,000,000

Box Office Gross: $672,806,432 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Child psychologist Malcolm Crowe has just received an award, and on the same night, he gets visited by an ex-patient who is very unhappy but disgruntled. He shoots Crowe and then kills himself. A few months after his fateful encounter, Crowe has to help a 9-year-old boy named Cole, who has the same problems as the ex-patient. Cole can see "dead people" that don't even know they are dead. Because of this, the other kids at his school call him a freak and drive her mum to wit's end. At
first, Crowe thinks he's
seeing things. He spends
a lot of time with him, much
to the dismay of his wife. It
is then that Crowe realises
that Cole is telling the truth.


Cast
Bruce Willis - Malcolm Crowe
Haley Joel Osment - Cole Sear
Toni Collette - Lynn Sear
Olivia Williams - Anna Crowe
Trevor Morgan - Tommy Tammisimo
Donnie Wahlberg - Vincent Grey
Peter Anthony Tambakis - Darren
Jeffrey Zubernis - Bobby
Bruce Norris - Stanley Cunningham
Glenn Fitzgerald - Sean
Mischa Barton - Kyra Collins
Greg Wood - Mr. Collins
Angelica Page - Mrs. Collins
Samantha Fitzpatrick - Kyra's Sister
M. Night Shyamalan - Dr. Hill

Crew
Writer/Director - M. Night Shyamalan
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -
Sam Mercer
Producers - Frank Marshall,
Kathleen Kennedy and Barry Mendel
Casting Director - Amy Kaufman
Production Designer - Larry Fulton
Art Director - Philip Messina
Assistant Art Directors - Charles E. McCarry
and Scott P. Murphy
Set Decorators - Douglas A. Mowat
and Susannah McCarthy (Uncredited)
Costume Designer - Joanna Johnston
Director of Photography - Tak Fujimoto
First Assistant Director - John Rusk
Second Assistant Director - Scott Robertson
Second Unit Director/Film Editor -
Andrew Mondshein
Stunt Coordinator - Jeff Habberstad
Special Effects Supervisors - Garry Elmendorf
and Keith Marblehead (Uncredited)
Effects Supervisor: Stan Winston Studio -
John Rosengrant
Digital Effects Supervisor: Dream Quest -
Tim Landry
Re-Recording Mixer/Sound Designer/
Supervising Sound Editor - Michael Kirchberger
Additional Sound Designer - Paul P. Soucek
Re-Recording Mixer - Reilly Steele
Foley Artists - Marnie Moore and
Margie O'Malley
Music - James Newton Howard
Executive in Charge of Music: Buena Vista
Motion Pictures Group - Kathy Nelson
Electronic Score Producer - J.T. Hill
Score Recordist and Mixer - Shawn Murphy


Awards

2000 Academy Awards
Best Picture - Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy
and Barry Mendel (Nominated)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Haley Joel
Osment (Nominated)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Toni Colette
(Nominated)
Best Director - M. Night Shyamalan (Nominated)
Best Original Screenplay - M. Night Shyamalan
(Nominated)
Best Film Editing - Andrew Mondshein (Nominated)


Review
It's the most recognised great feature from the once-famous director M. Night Shyamalan. THE SIXTH SENSE shared acclaim among the audiences and critics of its sheer mystery, suspense, drama, and scare factor. However, its superbly written conclusion thrills viewers with a completely unexpected reveal. The follow-ups in the later years from the same director, like the abysmal The Last AirbenderAfter Earthand a few other movies, weren't up to the challenge of enduring the masterful quality in THE SIXTH SENSE. Except maybe Unbreakable if I get to watch it as an alternative. Likewise, this movie does prove to Shyamalan that he is a capable director for the Hollywood spotlight.

Besides the twist ending, the chemistry of the two lead characters was ahead of its time. One of them is the young troubled child depicted that no one will keep audiences speculating and formulating their conclusions. Only get to the movie's end and have all the preconceived ideas blown away by the shocking conclusion it unravels.

I enjoyed Bruce Willis as one of the lead actors in the film's cast. I am certainly not into his usual macho style in action-hero movies. He pulls off his character with a high standard of depth and sincerity. I liked young Haley Joel Osment's performance a lot. He succeeded in creating a character with fear, anxiety and distress, which is impressively realistic. It's a miracle that none of these young stars like Jake Loyd of Star Wars: Episode I could match up to his promising talents.

I considered THE SIXTH SENSE a great movie. It is one of the three luckiest of M. Night's movies. I've been waiting to watch this atmospheric film for a long time, but now it's finally happening. It sure leaves you feeling as though you would be too terrified to see it yourself!

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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