M.Night Shyamalan's films are Marmite. You either love them or loathe them.
My feelings fluctuate depending on the film and its largely his earlier films that I know, beginning with his famous debut the Sixth Sense, starring Bruce Willis, which probably everyone on the planet has seen. Hard to believe its only 25 years ago. It seems older than that.
Signs wasn't too bad either, the crop circle suspenser starring Mel Gibson and the Happening starring Mark Wahlberg held great promise, especially the mysterious apocalyptic opening before it became mired in melodrama.
And so to Unbreakable, the Shyamalan super-hero flick featuring Bruce Willis as the eponymous 'unbreakable' super-human The Guardian [I think he's called that]. An unusual super-hero film unlike Marvel or DC's cache of Metas, Unbreakable also introduced us to the 'breakable' Mr. Glass played by Samuel L. Jackson, nearly ten years before he worked with Marvel. Again, all this was nearly 25 years ago.
This week I dipped my toe into Split, a much later effort by the Director and the second part of a super-human trilogy beginning with Unbreakable. Split stars James McAvoy as a person with 23 split personalities [Sybil only had 13!].
As I've only seen half an hour of the film so far I've only had the pleasure of about five of them. Mention has already been made of a sacred being and reading up I see its a personality called The Beast. I'll carry on watching tonight as I'm intrigued by the thought that McAvoy physically changes somehow.
Glass is the latest and final part of the Director's super-human trilogy, a film I've yet to see, where all three of his characters come together in one movie.
Have you seen this trilogy and or any of M.Night Shyamalan's films? What do you think readers?
Yes, I thought the trilogy was good.
ReplyDeleteThe Sixth Sense is still the best Shyamalan film, but Unbreakable was good and The Village was passable. The trouble is becoming known as the "twist" Director, (like Hitchcock) he tended to paint himself into a corner. Part of the cinematic brilliance of a twist is you're not expecting it.
Watched Split and now half way through Glass. Really enjoying the trilogy too Looey. No idea what the twist is in Glass but he's up and about in his wheelchair!
DeleteOne thing I like about Night's films is locations.Hes a Philadelphia Native and chooses really cool places in the Philly suburbs and surrounding countryside to shoot his films.As a lifelong Southern New Jersey native, I find those surroundings familiar and comforting.
ReplyDeleteI watched out for them last night during Glass Brian. Must be fun spotting places you know in Philly and Jersey!
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