Better than you'd think (spoilers)

Rating: Null/10 (21 September 2004)

So you're not familiar with Shyamalan's work and you want to see a straightforward fright-a-minute horror movie, as the trailer and advertisements would have you believe. Or, on the other hand, you are a fan who has watched all his previous movies to death and are so familiar with potential twists that you've hatched your own plot ideas before actually watching The Village. In both of these cases, I would not be surprised if you walk out unimpressed. Even disappointed.
I, however, wasn't. We've come to expect so much of Shyamalan over the past few years that we expect him to wow us at every turn. The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs... what a trend, and a fantastic one at that. Many people are now using the word "predictable", and it may be so. I figured out the first twist of the hoax creatures from just the ads. The fact is: would we have guessed it if The Village was released first? Before Haley Joel Osment saw dead people, before Bruce Willis had super-human powers and before yet another Culkin kid graced our screens as a pre-pubescent whose intelligence exceeds Mel Gibson's?
The first half of the movie is dedicated to introducing characters. Ivy (Howard) and Lucius (Phoenix) make a sweet couple, but I feel that the latter wasn't used to his full potential; perhaps it's just the Joaquin fangirl in me shining through again. Adrien Brody's performance is absolutely superb -- he is truly the star of this show -- and Noah kept me guessing (did he know about the fakes? etc) throughout. Sigourney Weaver could also have been used a little more, and William Hurt a little less. I am plainly and simply not a fan of the man's voice. He should be doing children's storybook tapes.
The latter half revolves around Ivy's trek and, of course, many unexpected revelations. I am not going to dwell on these too much. It's obvious I adored every minute. And the ending? No closure at all, and that's what I love about it. I spent most of the drive home wondering what would become of Lucius, Ivy and their neighbors. What I loved about this movie is that it's possible, plausible and a breeding ground for oh so much paranoia. But, most of all, it cemented my belief that M. Night Shyamalan is the most talented writer and director of his -- and our -- generation.