It's an IKEA movie!

Rating: 8/10 (2 May 2007)

********* HUGE SPOILER! ********************* ********* I GIVE YOU FAIR WARNING!!! ********* ********* HUGE SPOILER! ********************* ********* HUGE SPOILER! ********************* ********* HUGE SPOILER! ********************* ********* HUGE SPOILER! ********************* This movie is completely based on the idea that "In olden days, everything used to be better". Today, there is a cultural undertow, which holds that we should 'go back', and its most present manifestation is in the IKEA way of designing things. IKEA wants you to give you a feeling of solid un-modernity, oldfashionedness, that's why all their most successful designs are those woody wood-wood chests and cupboards and tables.
The people who have founded the village, also have this notion of fleeing modern life. And that that is somehow better. But, as one character notes, there is sorrow there as well as in the 'towns'. And the sacrifice of living unmodern is made clear at the beginning of the movie, when a boy dies of some treatable disease, age seven.
All this is not to say, that I don't think this isn't a beautiful movie. It is, as all movies by Shymalan I have seen (Signs, Unbreakable and in a way the Sixth Sense) a film of devastating minimalistic beauty. The movie is in no small way helped by the crystal beauty of Howard, whose acting skills are remarkable.
Also, the music of superstar violinist Hahn is completely in line with the films intentions and meaning. Well worth watching.
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