Mixed bag

Rating: 6/10 (28 December 2004)

Shyamalan has enlisted an impressive cast in this film who all give fun performances. Unfortunately, like the plot itself, the great cast is ultimately left to dry. I'm beginning to wonder if Shyamalan makes the same film over and over again. The films always open with such promise, creepy, suspenseful. Like with his other films this one revolves around the "suprise" plot twist, but this time around it doesn't quite work. The "surprise" is pretty obvious and revealed much too early, pretty much killing the suspense.
The film is beautifully shot, but all visual quotation of classic landscape paintings seem to distance the viewer more than bring them into the story. Sometimes the film sweeps you away with its sensuousness, but in the end it leaves you feeling cheated.