When you're desperate for medical supplies and your village is in the middle of a forest far away from civilization - send the blind girl for help...

Rating: 9/10 (16 July 2010)

I was SO glad that I took a chance, and saw this film at the theatre. Not only was I pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it, but it also introduced me to Bryce Dallas Howard - for which I'm forever grateful. She left a lasting impression with her role in this movie, playing Ivy Walker - a blind girl who "sees" (but just not as we see), Bryce is quite a wonder to behold. People will complain how, for a supposedly "blind" person, she manages to get around pretty easily/know where she's going and seems fairly familiar with her surroundings. If you actually pay attention, you will hear that she was not born blind. She obviously got to know the place where she grew up and familiarized herself with her surroundings/how to get places before she lost her sight. Even after that, she still "sees" people's "colours". So there's actually an explanation for the way she gets around, you just have to listen.
At its heart, this movie is a tale of romance (in its purest form). What holds the movie together is the love story between Bryce's Ivy Walker and Lucius Hunt (portrayed perfectly by Joaquin Phoenix. No wonder he's a perfect fit - as the role was apparently written for him). It's also no wonder that Shyamalan cast Bryce without an audition from her and after only having seen her on stage. She's quite the find. Her chemistry with Phoenix is a large part of what makes the film work. There's a purity and innocence to their love for each other. Their interaction/dialogue really gets to the heart of what love is/should be about. I especially liked her trust in him and his faithfulness and loyalty to her.
The rest of the cast also does well. William Hurt is excellent as Ivy's father, Sigourney Weaver is quite good as Lucius's mother, and Brendan Gleeson is great as always (though a little underused). Meanwhile, Adrien Brody has a tough role, playing Noah Percy (who is literally "the village idiot"). He'll probably get on some people's nerves, while some might just find him unintentionally amusing. I thought he played the role well, and I even felt a twinge of sympathy for him. Judy Greer is also good as Ivy's sister, Kitty (and she shares one especially amusing scene with Lucius. Both she and Phoenix are excellent in the scene where she makes her feelings known to him). Apart from the wonderful relationships of lovers, father and daughter and mother and son, there's also the love/relationship between two sisters on display.
The film itself looks great. Very moody and atmospheric, nicely gloomy and cast-over. The night scenes are brilliantly done - taking full advantage of shadows and the only light source being candles. I just cannot say enough about how good this film looks. It creates the sort of place one would almost want to step into, walk around in and be a part of. It has a mystical sort of quality to it, yet everything is grounded in a 'reality' of sorts.
Speaking of, the elements to this film that may feel 'supernatural' in nature are actually handled really well. There is an explanation for everything that happens in the film, but like with all good movies, you can't expect answers straight away. You have to pay attention and be willing to go along for the ride all the way. Obviously, after Shyamalan's other movies, people are expecting a 'twist'. Thing is, if you go into this movie for the sole purpose of *looking* for what the twist might be, then chances are you may figure it out. I myself went into the film not actively seeking out the twist, and was able to sit back and just enjoy the movie for the story it had to tell. The 'twist ending' is not the main thing you should be worrying about here. It's the story that matters - and it was a story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Some may possibly feel that the film just sort of ends abruptly, but I think that if you've been paying close enough attention to the journey that the character of Ivy Walker goes through, you'll realise that the somewhat open-ended final scene can only have one natural resolution. It's really left up to you to decide, but I know that I was happy with how I thought the film ended.
It is one of those cases where you either 'get' the film or you don't. And I absolutely 'got' it. It addresses issues about today's society and makes you really think about what the world has come to. What are people - as a whole - like nowadays? Not exactly the best examples of human nature are on display in today's day and age. People, in general, are deeply flawed, and The Village ponders what could be done about that to escape the unpleasantness. I very much appreciated this film and, after having recently re-watched it yet again on DVD, I love it just as much as I did the first time I saw it at the theatre (maybe even a little more). Out of all of Shyamalan's films that he's done, this one is easily my favourite. It's a truly under-appreciated gem of a film.