For a quick 10 points name the minor character from The Sixth Sense whom I would beat to death in righteous anger, were this character real rather than fictional.
You won't be able to get that unless you've seen the movie, but if you have I'd be shocked if you managed to get it wrong.
I liked it even more than my wife (who'd already seen it long ago) did. She scoffed when I speculated whether it would make an all-time top ten list of "you need to see this" movies (note that the top N "you need to see this" movies may be very different from the N best movies: does this distinction make sense?). Given time to sleep on it I don't think it makes a top 10 but it easily makes a top 100, probably makes a top 50, and might make a top 25.
Julia claims that there are much better psychological thrillers. That may well be true but I didn't process The Sixth Sense as a psychological thriller. Instead I saw it taking on subject matter similar to Magnolia yet with exact opposite results: Magnolia tried to be a drama but utterly failed (in my opinion: as covered here awhile back, I think Magnolia is one of the worst movies ever made, and of course your mileage may vary). Even if it was trying to be a psychological thriller, and regardless of whether it succeeded at that (given the buzz it generated, apparently it wildly succeeded), I found it to be a far superior drama to 99.[some number of 9's]% of the self-described "dramas" out there.
As for the "spoiler," even though I can't read M. Night's mind I'd like to think that he didn't intend for the ending to be a twist.
I'd like to think that he assumed audiences would realize what was going on the whole time, but then when people in a test screening didn't get the point until the very end, the powers that be took the "surprise" as an inadvertent feature (in the "not a bug but a feature" sense).
I already knew too much to about the plot to be plausibly surprised, but I claim I would have figured it out no later than the compulsive viewing and re-viewing of the wedding video.
Posted by Matt Bruce at January 2, 2007 11:27 AMEven if it was trying to be a psychological thriller, and regardless of whether it succeeded at that (given the buzz it generated, apparently it wildly succeeded), I found it to be a far superior drama to 99.[some number of 9's]% of the self-described "dramas" out there.
QFT.
This is why I like all of MNS's films; why I don't think they've fallen off and why I don't complain about the "twists." The perfect moments in his films are not the "revelations" but family interactions that are captured with stunning clarity. The genre-trappings are unimportant, really.
Also this is why I am waiting patiently for when he finally feels confident enough to do a straight-up family drama without any genre-slumming.
Posted by: mountmccabe at January 2, 2007 08:50 PMI think Magnolia is one of the worst movies ever made
I take it you didn't see Boogie Nights, then. :) That experience plus Tom Cruise kept me from considering Magnolia.
Posted by: M.S. at January 3, 2007 06:58 AMI kind of liked "Boogie Nights." Not for the plot, acting, and direction, all of which I've long since forgotten, but rather for the effective use of 1970s era decor and furnishings, much of it done in shades of orange and avocado.
I think our entire kitchen had this motif when I was growing up.
Posted by: WestBerkeleyFlats at January 3, 2007 12:47 PMIt had its pluses, like what you indentified, but it was at least an hour too long. And so when I heard Magnolia was also three hours long...
Posted by: M.S. at January 3, 2007 01:11 PMI liked all of Anderson's movies fine. They're all hit/miss, but on the whole I've liked them more than the Altman movies he's clearly aping.
My big problem with Shyamalan is his insistence on casting himself in his movies, in what seemed to be increasingly bigger parts. I think I laughed out loud at his mere appearance in Signs (which was the last I saw).
Posted by: Greg at January 3, 2007 02:03 PMBased on that, Greg, you probably would hate Shyamalan's role in Lady in the Water enough to not enjoy the movie at all... especially considering that that one has to be accepted on it's own merits anyway. It's an odd one but quite remarkable, if ya ask me.
In addition to hoping Shyamalan does a straight up drama I am also hoping for an extended version of The Village which is around twice as long. I have no reason to believe such a thing does or could exist but I would love that movie so much if it did.
Posted by: mountmccabe at January 3, 2007 03:58 PMFor 10 points, I claim the person you would beat to death is the mother of Mischa Barton's character, although I don't know the actress or character's name for the mother.
You get the 10 points, plus several more than that for pointing out to me that the girl is Mischa Barton.
I did not know that.
Posted by: me at January 4, 2007 12:42 PM