The Sixth Sense (1999)

3 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Ghost Trusting

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

The Sixth Sense begins badly, with an overwritten scene of Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) and his wife celebrating an award he's won. But soon after that it glides up to the stratosphere and never comes down. Willis plays a child psychologist who takes on the case of a young boy, Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), who sees dead people. Osment is spectacular in his role; you can feel the raw fear in his voice and eyes, but Willis should not be underestimated either. He's become an increasingly subtle actor, molding his particular star power into a lovely niche. Young Philadelphian filmmaker M.Night Shyamalan gives his film a lovely pace and lets it breathe. He's already brilliant at using subtle color tones to create a specific mood. Not to mention that the screenplay, with its terrific scares and its amazing double-whammy ending, is a grand achievement. The Sixth Sense is worth seeing twice.