Forget what you've read and who directed it, just give it a chance

Rating: 10/10 (15 January 2005)

This may seem like a strange analogy, but humor me. When I was a child I was (okay, I still am) a huge fan of the Beatles. As each record came out I was constantly blown away by the progress of their ideas and music. I remember when the album "Revolver" came out, I invited some kids from my neighborhood to listen to it with me for the first time. I was the only one in the room who enjoyed it. Some of my friends disappeared before the album was over, muttering things like, "I liked 'A Hard Day's Night' better...why have they become so weird?"
I think this may be the plight of M. Night Shyamalan. Many want him to do "The Sixth Sense" over and over again, or at least something that resembles it. "The Village" is a movie that if (1) it had not been marketed the way it was and (2) did not reveal the director (yeah, I know, it could never happen), would have more likely been embraced for what it was - a remarkable movie.
Bryce Dallas Howard plays the unlikely heroine, Ivy. Unlikely because she is blind, yet shows the greatest bravery among a village of people who live in constant fear. Howard's performance blew me away. The characters, all brilliantly portrayed, display a common thread of fear and emotional restraint, and acceptance of remaining in this state. All but Lucius (played by Joaquin Phoenix, so often typecast as an unlikable character; he shattered that in this role) and Ivy, as is established as the story unfolds.
I don't want to give any more away than I have. See this movie.
I am guilty of almost not seeing is BECAUSE of the trailer, but I'm glad I did. This is one of the best, most thought-provoking movies I have seen in recent times.
Forget what you've read, and who directed it (though the direction is excellent) and give it a chance. As I once anticipated Beatles' records without expecting a repeat of past efforts, I will likewise anticipate future movies by this gifted and talented storyteller.