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The Village - 7/30/04 - PG-13 - 108m
Joaquin Phoenix - Lucius Hunt
Bryce Dallas Howard - Ivy Walker
Adrien Brody - Noah Percy
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Written by: M. Night Shyamalan
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
Official Website
JEF
In spite of a certain “corny” factor that the film had, for some reason I really liked this movie. From the very beginning I was drawn into this film and just let the story unfold.
Storyline: I must keep this brief… A small village set in the late 1800’s is secure or surrounded by a dense woods. The people inhabiting this town remind me of the Amish, which I’m sure, was intentional on Shyamalan’s part. There are several storylines within the town, including why the town is “secure”, and the various characters interacting within the town of course makes the film interesting.
This will be the short version of this review with no spoilers…
Go see this movie! And the trick or key here is to go with no expectations. Don’t listen to the other reviewers (Except of course Lyn's review), until after you’ve seen the film. Stop reading this review, and looking for others – just go see it. The film reminded me a lot of Shyamalan’s last movie “Signs” in that it seemed like those who compared the movie to Night’s other films really disliked the film. Rather than look at the film like it was new, and not meant to be a repeat of Night’s previous films. Don’t be too judgmental and just sit back and let the story unfold.
I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you can do this 
End Short Review…
Continue down to read the full review with spoilers!
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Ok, Can we talk freely now?
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So another strange film from M. Night that puts a zinger on the end of the movie. I think this zinger is what has most critics up in arms. I usually don’t make it a point to read the other critics reviews on a film, until after I write mine, so as not to taint my own views. But I couldn’t resist today. I signed on, and checked the ratings that are given by the critics and the users of Yahoo. I was really surprised to read all the negatives about this movie. Especially from Roger Ebert… He really tears this movie up!
From my recollection of Night’s last film Signs, it seemed like a repeat of criticism. Many people were either upset that it didn’t compare to his other films, or were upset that there were similarities. I think everyone was looking for another “Sixth sense” and therefore held the movie up to that certain level of criticism. Again, I just really enjoyed this movie. I cleared my mind before the lights dimmed, and sat back and watched the story. I think this movie was best in that plain and simple it was a fairytale. You had a monster(s) like the evil dragon, you have a prince (Lucius), a Princess (Ivy), and the King (Edward). At it’s most basic, this was a typical fairytale story, of a young man’s love for a woman. I also wonder if the supposed time frame of the late 1800’s was annoying to others. I just finished watching the rerun on TV for PBS’s show called “The Colonial House” which I thought was an amazing show. Perhaps this movie reminded me of this show that also was why I enjoyed it so much. I was taken back to the late 1800’s and was caught up with their way of life. I don’t think there were any direct references to the Amish, but with Night’s love of all things in Pennsylvania, I took this for granted. It certainly felt “Amish” from what little I know about them.
The monsters? I thought were handled well, Night has a knack for creating tension, and suspense by NOT showing a gory monster, with special effects and all. You see a flash, or a glimpse just off camera, and it just creeps you out. Those looking for a typical “monster movie” will be disappointed.
Finally, the “surprise” ending… bottom line, you’re either going to love it or hate it. As with any surprise, some will say they saw it coming (not sure how they figured this one out, but that’s ok). Some will criticize the surprise for being stupid, or implausible. To me the ending was just the icing on the cake. It was such a minor point to the film, that it didn’t really bother me. I thought it pretty clever actually, and somewhat feasible.
The parts that I enjoyed most about this movie were two things… the acting I thought was fantastic all around. Joaquin did a great job as Lucius. I was really amazed at Bryce Howards (Ron Howard’s Daughter), in her portrayal of Ivy. Adrien Brody did a good job playing Noah, the mentally challenged character. The other item that I really enjoyed was just the story. I was caught up, interested, and wanted to know what was happening next.
I suppose Night will always have to live up to his previous films, and take criticism for each accordingly. Me personally, I try to view each one independent of the others, and I think I enjoy Nights work overall because of this view. Give the movie a chance, and I think you’ll enjoy the story.
Jef.
Here’s what Lyn thought…
