The Village

Rating: 2/10 (18 April 2012)

In 2004 I found myself in a theater waiting on a film that was sure to be entertaining. The trailers had enticed me for months and I was giddy about seeing this intriguing piece of art. Since that day I have tried to block out the utter disappointment that followed the theaters dimming lights. Up until, The Village, I truly enjoyed many M. Night Shyamalan films. Like most, The Sixth Sense was a delightful experience in the puzzle-thriller genre and I never looked at a farm house the same after Signs. With Night's track record I was not expecting disappointment. The Village did not just fall short of my expectations; it tumbled from the summit of Mount Everest.
The Village is not just flawed in one area, but is a nest egg for disaster. This film at first glance has a great cast however, that does not guarantee great acting. William Hurt for the majority of the film seems as if he is reading directly from a script, while Joaquin Phoenix comes off as dry and emotionless as ever. All cannot be blamed on lack luster acting; the characters being portrayed are extremely unrepeatable to ANY audience member- unless the audience is packed full of disturbing cult leaders. While the characters are completely forgettable and come with no audience attachment, the concept of this film is by far the most inadequate area of The Village. I have never seen a more ridicules storyline. Somehow Shyamalan thought it made sense to have parents traumatize there kids for the sake of keeping them secure in a phony plastic bubble set in the late 1800's.
M. Night Shyamalan really dropped the ball on The Village. I have never walked out of a theater so disappointed (and I have seen Twilight). The Village ruined M. Night's films for me. I now see his name attached to a project and run the other way. After this atrocity, it is almost a shame to call M. Night Shyamalan an auteur director.