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Rating: 4/10 (9 August 2004)

The Village manages to do absolutely nothing original or interesting.

Where many reviews focus on the plot and its various elements, this one will competely ignore the plot and focus on the Artistic elements of the film.
As usual, M. Night Shyamalan provides a very well-crafted setting for his story. On a fundamental level, there is nothing out of place or odd. However, that is this films greatest flaw. A society completely isolated, which has been around long enough for children to be born and raised, and there is
ABSOLUTELY nothing unique to this village other than the prohibition against
the color Red.
Limiting the set and costume design by dropping a color is a nice touch, but there isn't much story behind it. On a political level, the society is as communal as they could possibly make it....very Red if you follow political color schemes.
In short, Shyamalan's greatest asset in his film-making has always been his eye for detail, color, and visual ploys/plays. It just doesn't happen in The Village. It is lack-luster at best. Music is bland, cinematography is
unimpressive. Costume Design and Set Design is at the level of a badly funded stage play.
Take all of this and combine it with an unimaginative scrupt and you get
nothing special.
On to Acting: Joaquin Phoenix does an effective enough job, but it is not up to his usual standards. He seems less than interested with the world that
Shyamalan gives him, which I blame the director for more than the actor. Adrien Brody does an exquisite job playing Noah Percy. The character
illuminates a drab screen and ands interest and intrigue. The true gem of this film is Bryce Dallas Howard. Her character is vibrant, well-acted, interesting and commanding. She pulls out of the script a
performance that was frankly better than this film deserved. Expect her to thunder onto the Hollywood main-stage as soon as she gets a role worth
playing.
Her performance, along with Adrien Brody, help keep this film from being a
dismal failure. Add to it an acceptable, visual concept, and you get a 4 out of 10.