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Laramie Movie Scope:
Unbreakable

Through a fog, darkly, comes an odd tale, slowly

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by Robert Roten, Film Critic
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November 23, 2000 -- It is a dark tale of a man trying to deny his true nature, being egged on by dark forces to do something, he's not sure what. It has some good atmosphere and a nice twist at the end, but the ends of this film, to paraphrase Ambrose Bierce, are too far apart.

Bruce Willis plays David Dunne, the lone survivor of a train wreck. Willis is teamed again with director-writer M. Night Shyamalan after their very successful collaboration in "The Sixth Sense" last year. Dunne is contacted by the mysterious Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson of "Shaft"). Price, who suffers from a rare bone disorder that causes him to have multiple fractures, has a wild theory to explain Willis' miraculous escape from the train wreck. He argues that Willis and he are connected in some mystical way. While Price's body is easily broken, Dunne is unbreakable. They are at opposite ends of the same spectrum. Furthermore, he believes Willis was put on this earth to serve a greater purpose. He believes Dunne has missed his true calling.

This causes Dunne to re-examine his life, reluctantly at first. Is he denying his true nature? Was he born to serve a greater purpose? The story follows along the lines of the philosopher Joseph Campbell who urged people to "follow your bliss" and the universe will open a path for you. The story then goes beyond reality into the realm of myth. Paranormal events begin to happen as Dunne opens himself up to the supernatural.

The story has been likened to "The Sixth Sense" because of the surprise ending and the sombre, reflective nature of the film. The images, reflecting the story, are dark and subdued. In one scene, we see Dunn through a window. Curtains, blowing in the wind, wave back in forth in front of the camera so we can't see clearly. The viewer must be patient and wait for the curtain to blow out of the way so you can see. The film is like that. You have to be patient while the story unfolds. Unfortunately, I got tired of waiting for things to happen as the story plodded along. When things finally did happen, it didn't quite seem worth the wait.

Willis and Jackson are both fine actors and they both perform well, backed by an able supporting cast, including Robin Wright Penn of "Message in a Bottle" as Dunne's wife and Spencer Treat Clark of "Gladiator" as Dunne's son. So how does this movie compare to "The Sixth Sense?" It is a significanly different story. It doesn't carry the emotional impact and it is an inferior film overall. It rates a C+.

Click here for links to places to buy this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

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Copyright © 2000 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.
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Robert Roten can be reached via e-mail at my last name at lariat dot org. [Mailer button: image of letter and envelope]

(If you e-mail me with a question about this or any other movie or review, please mention the name of the movie you are asking the question about, otherwise I may have no way of knowing which film you are referring to)