The Sixth Sense - Lisa's Review

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This movie takes me back to when I managed a video store.. yup, before DVDs were the main media.  It was an ideal job for me and indulged my love of movies.  I would have never left it, had I not relocated, but hey, I digress....

I watched this movie when it was first released and I loved it.  I have watched it several times since and watched it again tonight before writing this review.  I still think it's a brilliant movie.  I make no secret of the fact I'm a massive M Night Shyamalan fan.  Granted his work hasn't been as good in latter years, but when this movie was released, he was bang on his game.

I don't want to say too much about this movie as it's one I recommend everyone see if they haven't already.  Giving away much of the plot of the movie would defeat the purpose of me telling you to go out and watch it.  I always feel when it comes to a good movie, you should go into it with no knowledge whatsoever beforehand.  I always enjoy movies more when I do that.

To give you something of an idea of plot, we follow Dr Malcom Crowe (Bruce Willis), a highly successful child psychologist who is perhaps devoting more time to his professional life than his life at home with his wife.

Malcom has a patient that commits suicide so feels he has failed him somehow.  When he later comes into contact with a little boy called Cole (Hayley Joel Osment)  he sees similarities between the 2 and wants to help him with his problems.  However, Cole is very different to anyone he has worked with before.  He is very special and exceptionally gifted.  Malcolm initially connects with Cole and seems to understand him better than anyone has before, but as they continue their relationship together, Malcolm realises there is a lot more to Cole than he first thought.  He wonders if he can actually help him and finds that perhaps Cole can help him more.

Throughout the movie, we see how committed Malcolm is to his work and realise how much this is at the expense of his home life and his relationship with his wife.

The movie is shot with quite a muted pallet with occasional introductions of bright red, which is clearly meant to symbolic, as I would imagine are the way certain scenes are shot.  I think it should be down to the individual viewer to decipher, but I would imagine this is a movie of many layers.  It works as a straightforward movie, but also has much more symbolism and arty fartyness for those who like a little bit more to their viewing.

The acting, as you would expect, is great.  Hayley Joel Osment is wonderfully captivating, Toni Colette plays a loving, but distracted single mum to perfection.  Bruce Willis is his usual calming, charming self.

I would highly recommend anyone reading (Hello?) who hasn't seen this movie (where have you been?) watch it immediately!  An easy recommended for me this week.