Top notch acting and a haunting story... but a disappointing ending

Rating: 7/10 (17 January 2005)

Of Shyamalans previous movies I only liked 'Signs', so I'm hardly a fan of him. Still, there was some anticipation surrounding this movie, with it's superb cast and an interesting plot.
It involves a small town hidden in the woods, where the people have some sort of truce with the creatures from those woods: they won't come in the village if the people don't go into their territory. This way, the small village has no bonds with the outside world.
Problems arise when a young man called Lucius Hunt (Joaquin Phoenix) is stabbed and desperately needs medication from the outside world. His blind girlfriend Ivy (Bryce Dallas Howard) sets out to seek help, through the woods, into the wide world.
In the first hour of the film, it's perfectly balanced between the scares of the creatures and the relationships unfolded, but once Ivy sets out into the woods the movie loses it's momentum. Although I filled the box 'spoilers included' I won't go too far with that: an observant viewer might know enough by remembering who the director of this movie is...
As said, the ending is rather disappointing. It feels strange to see 'the real world' as we know it. There's a rather useless scene with a patrolman stealing some medication for Ivy... it just didn't really fit in to the movie.
What still stands though are the excellent performances by the whole of the cast, with some exceptional acting in particular by the relatively unknown Bryce Dallas Howard and William Hurt as her father.
On the whole one would perhaps expect more after it's first hour, but 'The Village' still is a movie to watch, as it's truly scary at times and has some of the best performances of the year.
Edit: after watching the movie for the second time I feel I have to upgrade it to a 7/10. Special notice to the scene where Lucius grabs Ivy's hand for the first time. Perfect scene.