"They called me Mr. Glass."

M. Night Shyamalan, as of right now, is a terrible director, and it's made all the worse by the fact that he thinks he's one of the greatest directors ever. "The Happening" was an atrociously acted, terribly written and directed attempt at horror. He called it the best B-movie of all time.

That's 2008. Rewind eight years, and you'll find Shyamalan on top of a really great movie (one that we can file under undiscovered) called "Unbreakable," a movie about finding out who you really are. The film has fascinating cinematography largely conceptualized by Shyamalan himself, as we see very long extended shots of multiple characters as they converse, express their emotions subtly, give little away on the exterior but show the truth bubbling below the surface. Samuel L. Jackson gave one of the best performances of his career, and Bruce Willis and Robin Wright were also great.

So, how exactly did this happen? It's easy, of course. He was swallowed by the temptation of fame. I can just envision him in a meeting with a producer on "Lady in the Water," as he is asked if it's really the best idea to make a movie for his kids, and Shyamalan would have probably asked, "Were you nominated for a Best Director Oscar?"

These days, you'd be hardpressed to find someone actually complimenting Shyamalan for anything. But, it's hard to ignore for me that he did have some excellent endeavors early on, before he succumbed to temptation and became one of the most hated (and admittedly worst) directors working in Hollywood today.

"Unbreakable" is somewhat slow-moving, taking its time to unfold its themes about identity and the terror of losing it. Both central characters, played by Willis and Jackson, are essentially searching for the truth within themselves. David, as played by Willis, has perpetuated a lie to his wife for ten years, and a rift between them, nudging the possibility of divorce, has been the consequence. Elijah, played by Jackson, is lonely, surrounded by the inpenetrable cloud of solitude. He has suffered from a terrible physical condition for all his life, one which commands great effort and nerve just to step outside. It is therefore inevitable that he sees his opposite in David, who was involved in a train crash and emerged unscathed.

This film is steeped in slightly odd fictitious situations, but it feels very genuine and real the entire running time. There is harrowing intensity in the few scenes which intend to put the viewer on the edge of their seat. Shyamalan is able to create the most pulse-pounding scene of the movie out of a boy pointing a loaded gun at his father. Such sequences demonstrate Shyamalan's directorial finesse, and the writing isn't half-bad either.

The twist in the movie is a much more significant and even surprising one than that of "The Sixth Sense." The final line has to be one of my favorites of any movie ever. Accomplishments like that add to the overall experience of the film, and of course enhance the overall confusion over the debacle that Shyamalan's career has tumbled into.

I loved "Unbreakable," and despite its lack of attention from movie-goers or critics, I honestly believe this is his best movie and recommend it to anyone looking for a rewarding cinematic experience. Unfortunately, I would put a great deal of money down that Shyamalan will never achieve this high of quality again in a movie. If nothing else, he has become the benchmark for up-and-coming directors--don't be anything like him.