Another nice Shyalaman title.

Rating: 8/10 (12 October 2005)

M. Night Shyalaman had always given us good films with nice, sorta obvious, twists at the end but are always pleasing. And unlike some directors, and as some critics might think, his movies aren't exactly the same. Sure, they have some sort of twist at the end and are always super-natural, but think about his past movies. The Sixth Sense was his first; great film by the way, and then came Unbreakable. Which was also good, but strayed away from the horror feeling and had a more mature essence, that implying the torture scene. Then Signs came along to be his best film yet, with a great take on crop circles and their possible meanings. And now, The Village. Joaquin Phoenix makes his second appearance in Shyalaman's collection as the ambitious yet quiet citizen of an out-of-date village in the middle of some forest surrounded by monsters of some kind. But don't count on the commercials to give you accurate information. Two things the commercials don't tell you. One: Phoenix is NOT the main character. He is actually removed from the picture half way through the flick. And two: Bryce Dallas Howard, that red-headed girl, is blind. Yeah, she can't see. Anyway, the film is unique and original and is more of a romance then a Sci-fi movie. But don't think Shyalaman didn't forget about the suspense and horror. The mysterious monsters enter the village many times to give you a fright, but the real horror happens in a specific forest scene where Howard actually encounters the monster first hand. And he certainly didn't forget the twist at the end. And its not so obvious this time. I actually had to see the movie two times before I fully understood it. Please don't not see this movie because you don't like Shyalaman or you think it will be too scary. It's a great movie with above average acting and an intriguing story that keeps you interested. Shyalaman never seems to let us down. Or at least me.