Much better movie was possible

Rating: Null/10 (7 August 2004)

It's unfortunate that the director was more interested in another "twist" plotline than working with the other elements available to him that could have crafted a great film. The first half shows a great deal of promise as the actors create interesting and empathetic characters involved in interpersonal conflicts. But instead of exploring these people in a straight drama and allowing the actors to continue to shine, the film is forced to veer in the direction of being a "guess the secret" semi-thriller, a direction that takes it straight downhill.
Perhaps I would have enjoyed the movie more if the secret had been more of one, but the director dropped so many conspicuous clues as to the nature of the twist that both my husband and I figured it out about thirty minutes in. (I spent the rest of the movie hoping that there was something more to it, but no -- that was really it.) In addition, unlike "Sixth Sense", "Unbreakable" and "Signs" which held up very well to scrutiny once the twist is known, the plot of "The Village" has so many inconsistencies that it falls completely apart.
I'm not sorry I saw it (although my husband considered it a waste of time), but I was extremely disappointed.