Brandon Comments:
Thirty seconds, maybe a minute. That’s all the time it took. From the moment ‘Unbreakable’ ended until the moment when parts of the Crew started digging their steely daggers into the fleshy backside of this quiet tour de force. Thirty seconds, maybe a minute. At is paused to bask in the glow of applause, this cinematic animal was instead beaten as it ran for the door.
The reviews for ‘Unbreakable’ will definitely be mixed. Netti was adamant about the reasons why this film wasn't good; Tooda defended its merits; I forget what Nubs and Bourbon Cookie were talking about. I also forget whether Pat was even there. And then someone said, "It's the worst sophomore film ever." I'm assuming that was Netti.
As for me, I really liked this film. I thought it was shot beautifully; some of the camera pans and angles were like portraits being painted before your eyes. It was a very quiet film, delicate at times. Bruce Willis seemed a little too quiet at times (not quite eerily but more oafishly) but I loved how he allowed himself to believe in the super hero fable that Sam Jackson was proposing. I would have liked to have seen another 10-12 minutes of this film tacked to the end, where we can see Bruce Willis actually being a super hero. After an hour and a half of the setting-up of Bruce becoming a hero, I just wanted a little more of the warm super-fictitious gravy with my celluloid fillet. But I’ll be happy with that one vicious scene where a caped and hooded Bruce chokes the killer to death while being thrown through every wall in the room.
Nice pick, Tooda.
Buffy Comments:
When I first saw this movie in the theater (which is weird, as I never go to movies, especially movies like this, in the theater), my reaction to the possibility that Bruce Willis' character was a real-live unbreakable guy rather paralleled the reaction of his family. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, it's just hard to see outside of what has been determined as the limits of human strength and consciousness. This time around, it seemed odd that nobody had already figured out that some extraordinary things were going on with this man. It is like when the people on the shores of the lands about to be conquered were unable to see the first ships coming in. Having never conceived of such a thing, the thing actually did not exist for them initially. After working its way into their consciousness, they were able to see ships. I'm sorry I don't have a citation for that, but it is also a linguistic theory--the idea that if one has no concept of pink elephants, the room could be dancing with them and one would not know without an expansion of consciousness to allow for such a thing. It is true that we as humans are attached to our limitations and our logical explanations for those limitations. I enjoyed watching a comic book version of someone awakening to their full magnificence, their strengths and limitations, however kind of sentimental or (occasionally) schlocky it could be at times. What's-his-bucket the director seemed to frame every scene as one would see it in a graphic novel, and that worked for me. The romance was in the way and embarrassing, but maybe that's just because I'm emotionally dead inside at the moment. Speaking of emotionally dead women, I do like that Robin Wright and in particular in this role; I love her as an actress partly because she always seems somewhat colder and guarded than one expects from such a beautiful person. I guess I get as uncomfortable as anyone when women act weird and vulnerable and decide to give love one more try. Bruce Willis usually repels my interest; I enjoyed his performance here, and actually I usually do. I suppose my dislike is one of those irrational human things in that it is due solely to the lingering stink of Demi upon him. Not fair, but neither is life.
Though the movie lacks sophistication, it certainly felt like a Movienight Pick. Something to take a bit of the precious out of things, and I welcome that. Something about this pick strikes me as very intuitive rather than falling into any potential expectation, and that keeps the night fresh.
Netti Comments:
‘Unbreakable,’ the sophomoric effort from M. Night Shyamalan, falls flatter with each successive viewing. The reality-based comic book story is certainly an inspired twist on the popcorn superhero extravaganzas that are persistently paraded before our air-condition-seeking summer selves. However, the concept outstretches its execution and is mired in minimalist dialogue that presumes the viewer can be taken in by Bruce Willis' underground oceans of frustration; by the soft and vulnerable paeans of a young boy; and by the withered vitality of a middle-aged woman. The problem here is that there is a believability gap. It seems Mr. Shyamalan has taken the affectations of his fantastic thriller: ‘The Sixth Sense;’ and simply laid them on top of another twisty turn. The secret world of Haley Joel Osment's character was earned and present from the very beginning of that film. The suffering of that character was an invitation to mystery. The sufferings of these characters feel as if they were concocted as necessary elements to get us to care; and thereby forfeiting all possibilities of it. The writing is largely repetitive in these confident yet false notes, and the presumption of emotional import wears thin until ultimately it becomes laughable.
As far as a pick is concerned I think there are some decent points here: the punished protagonists of ‘Brick’ and ‘Night and the City’ are echoed here by David Dunn's unbreakable body. The reversal of a children's tale told through the actions of adults as counterpoint to ‘Brick's adult-themes spoken through the mouths of teenagers is a highly smoky association that is enviable in its originality, but like this film it is ultimately a high concept that fails to light on this member of the Crew. Oh, this film being a conceptual precursor to the TV show ‘Heroes’ is interesting, at least as far as interest in TV dramas allow.
Nubs Comments:
I can’t believe I missed a deadline/posting with my review still in my head. Anyway, let me just blurt out some comments I have on Unbreakable to stay on track.
I believe I was with the majority of viewers, save Netti, that thought Unbreakable was a fine pick. It is not without its faults, and definitely sparks strong opinions, but succeeds in carrying on themes and traditions of this administration.
As is my modus operandi, I will reverse haze; build it up and praise it as a pick then trash it for its faults. Unbreakable mostly succeeds as how it forwarded the jam session. With the comic book plot combined with real adult drama, it seems a valid follow-up to Brick. On a personal note, this is yet another choice that I first saw before knowing the joys of parenting. It was refreshing to spend some time with a Father who is revered as a hero in his son’s eyes, rather than the familiar stressed-out Dad running out the door for the solace of Tooda’s apartment. Though fictional, I found it genuine, endearing, and a nice fantasy to achieve. If only, I had superpowers.
As for the movie’s two big faults, the first is M. Night Shymalan. As the yuppie-looking Indian drug dealer, I would say that he gives himself the worst role in self-inserted cameo history. However, I remember his more important role in the awful Sighs, I mean Signs, and wish him and Tarantino would just cast real actors, like me, please. I also think the very disappointing repertoire Schmuckalayan has put together following this sophomore pick loses any trust we have and need in our storyteller for an audience to buy Unbreakable’s breakable ending.
Yes, the ending, or most important fault. Why does Schmadickhead do such a nice job selling us a fantastic but believable story just to throw it all away in the end? Why would Mr. Glass reveal himself to his rival for no other reason but to end up in an “asylum for criminally insane”? I guess he was never really hiding his identity since there in his open office to his open gallery with the open public gathered there is not only the plans and evidence to all his past crimes, but also a nice display of THE FUTURE BOMBS HE IS BUILDING! Really, M. Night? Really? Also the old age make-up and dye job on Mr. Glass’s Mom is inexcusable.
All right, despite those faults and Mr. Netti’s protests this is a fine pick to weave into the jam session at last minute’s notice. Movienight may get the sniffles every once in a while, but you can’t say we are breakable.
SELECTOR Comments:
I hate to make excuses, but Movienight has been forcing me to fall on my sword quite a bit over the last few months. My Picks have been forced Indoors (twice), I have been forced to step up to the plate at the last second, and a variety of other permutations has taken me off my A game.
‘Unbreakable’ was one such evening for me. I found out late in the game that Wiener was not only unaware it was his Pick this week, but that he would be unable to attend. When I got his pledge that our long lost Founding Member would definitely be there the following week, I was willing to switch places in the rotation with him if for no other reason than to have our first Wiener Pick of 2008 the following week. Under the gun already trying to master my lines in Mamet’s ‘Glengarry Glen Ross,’ I was forced to make a quick Pick and hope my gut would carry the day.
With excuses out of the way, I think ‘Unbreakable’ a fine Pick. While I am sure I will agree with many of Netti’s criticisms of this imperfect film, I would watch this film one hundred times if I could get back the time spent watching ‘Night of the Demon.’
I think this film is best described by something my old friend Bruno used to tactfully praise an awful play I did a few years back - “It was a swing and a miss, Ben - but it was a MIGHTY swing.”
‘Unbreakable’ builds great mystery and promise, and holds it with great art. Yet by the end of the story, the promise is never fully delivered upon. And don’t get me started on the awful title cards at the end of the movie. Never have so few typed words so successfully gutted an enterprise. Still, where this imperfect film falls in to the jam I stand by, and stand tall. The noir elements, heavy handed thought they may be, lines up nicely with the last two weeks of excellent Selections, and as an immediate reaction to Slim’s ‘Brick’ the reversal of childhood/adult themes/storytelling creates a palindrome like relationship between the two Picks.
I, for one, enjoyed the night, and despite my disclaimers at the start of this critique am pleased to have added this imperfect Pick to our Canon.
Onwards.
_107_Minutes_files/shapeimage_4_link_0.png)