Wonderful acting, asinine story.

Rating: 4/10 (3 September 2004)

The acting in this film is the only thing that makes it tolerable. William Hurt delivers one of his most compelling performances, even when hobbled with such stilted, cumbersome lines. Bryce Dallas Howard is nothing less than remarkable, a true discovery. Joaquin Phoenix is excellent, as well.
Adrian Brody, however, ought to return his Oscar.
M. Night Shyamalan's writing is abysmally turgid and laughably solemn. There's a whole lotta nothing going on here. The ending is straight out of weak Twilight Zone episode. I also found Shyamalan's obligatory, yet wholly gratuitous cameo to be oddly offensive. In the context of the film, his bit role struck me that this may be the way he sees himself with regard to this movie, whether he realizes it or not.