The Sixth Sense, written and directed by Night Shyamalan 9 out of 10

The Sixth Sense, written and directed by Night Shyamalan
9 out of 10


The Sixth Sense is considered to be one of the best films, it is anyway one of the most popular...audiences have included this on the Top Rated Movies list.

It was nominated for six Oscars, including for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the very young and extremely talented Haley Joel Osment, Best Director, Best Writing and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the great Toni Collette.

Bruce Willis is remarkable as a psychologist, Malcolm Crowe, who gets shot by one of his deranged patients at the very beginning of the film.
That is unexpected, isn't it?

Furthermore, he seems to continue, even if the wound seemed deadly, for the rest of film, where his presence has something outre, peculiar.
He is waiting for a boy, Cole Sear aka the astonishing Haley Joel Osment, and tries to communicate with him.

The analyst even suggests a game, to try to win the confidence of the child who could be about eight.
I will say a few things about you.

For every statement that is true, you approach and enter the room.
Whereas when I say somethings wrong, you will move towards the door.

Given that the assumptions are partly wrong, the tender patient leaves on the first encounter.
But the adult- let us call him that, even if we will and he will find that he is something different - and the boy grow closer to each other.

Alas, the psychologist does not seem to get across his wife, Anna Crowe.
She sits at table in a restaurant and does not appear to hear Malcolm.

At home, she keeps watching the video - this is 1999 - tape with their wedding.
Meanwhile, Cole experiences traumas, dramatic events.

He is visited by ghosts.
Night Shyamalan has a penchant for dark, mysterious films, where obscure forces are at work:

Signs, The Village, Unbreakable

Alas, his more recent productions have failed to deliver marvelous results.
Even Glass, number one at the box office now, seems to be a rather unaccomplished work, from what I have read in The Economist.

Cole has access to details, information that is stunning for those around.
For instance, in class, he tells his teacher that he knows he used to stutter when he was a child.

The professor becomes furious and shocked by this revelation...

How did you know that?

And he starts stuttering again, in anger.
In one scene, the boy is trapped with his mother Lynn Sear aka the formidable Toni Collette, in traffic.

He tells her that there was an accident and the woman is dead.

How do you know?
She is right here near me.

Given he has always been a special child, she assumes the worst, that he is confabulating.
But he is not and she would have proof...

He starts telling his parent about visits from and talks to his grandmother...

You thought she never came to see you dancing, when you were a child.
But she did, she went at the back and saw you.

When you went to her grave, you asked her a question.
She told me the answer is:

Every day!

This would prove to the mother that the child does have special abilities.
As for Malcolm...

Alas, he will have a very nasty surprise, right near the end.