duibe

As I began watching this film on HBO, I started to feel uneasy because all the trademarks of a TV Movie-of-the-week began to manifest- boring cinematography, unrefined performances, contrived momentum, etc. However, as the film progressed, I was drawn into certain story angles, and the plight of some of the lead characters became engrossing. Kamel's understated performance as Atta, as well as the two young leads playing husband and wife, kept me interested. The film gradually grinded into thriller territory, and the final moments were admittedly chilling and well-constructed by director Antonia Bird. However, what was most lacking from this film were the PSYCHOLOGICAL motivations of the characters. A story of such grand scope is difficult to tell in detail, as one can assume, but the most important elements driving these characters- the disgust and anger towards American foreign policy- seemed left out of this film. It seemed "hinted at" in certain scenes, but the screenplay never fully explored the burning hatred from the inside. It was still unclear to me why the once-agnostic Lebanese medical student allowed himself to be so easily roped in by the cell's extremist philosophies. Had the screenplay explored this in more detail, this film would be what it should have been- a tragic portrait of manifested hatred among young, misguided Islamic jihadists.

A terrible film in almost every respect, Shyamalan has crafted an utterly unwatchable movie. With great packaging and an intriguing premise, this stinker lured unsuspecting audiences into theatres in 2000. However, within the first fifteen minutes, audible groans echoed throughout the theater. Half the audience remained at the final reel. This picture really sucks. Bruce Willis' lethargic performance is boring to watch, and the supporting cast, including Samuel Jackson, struggle through the meandering, directionless script. The film moves at a sluggish pace, which is fine within Shyamalan's noirish mise en'scene, but the script is downright awful, therefore it's pacing is unjustifed. An example- when Willis' kid tests his father's invincibility by pointing a weapon at him. This scene is ridiculously awful and carelessly directed. It was totally unconvincing and over-the-top. I've seen more fully realized scenes in student films. Or how about the "shocking climax?" I can't believe it took two hours of such utter nonsense to build up to this weak, uneven revelation. It was particularly sad because Shyamalan obviously set everything up for a sequel, but when audiences saw this turd, plans were scrapped by the studio. Yes, I don't think "Unbreakable II" will ever see the light of day, thank God. So if you feel like wasting two hours of your time on a Sunday afternoon..... still avoid this movie; watch something more appetizing, like "Signs" or "Die Hard."