The Village

Rating: 5/10 (4 September 2004)

OK, so I'm not a big Shyamalan fan. I thought "The 6th Sense" was dull. "Signs" was more daring and more interesting, but as a whole it amounted to so little I felt cheated. But for some reason I really loved "Unbreakable". That's as far as my recognition for his talent goes. Or maybe his stuff just isn't made for me.
"The Village" certainly wasn't made for me. I'm as big of an Ebert hater as you're gonna find, and when I read his one-star review my interest for the movie grew considerably. Sadly, I agree with him. If there is a word that describes "The Village" perfectly, it's "miscalculation".
Miscalculation of what, you ask? Of Shyamalan's talent for creating suspenseful moments? Yes. I understand this is kind of a show-off, "I'm-so-good-I-can-scare-you-shitless-with-a-ridiculous-guy-in-a-red-cloak" kind of thing. Well, that failed, at least for me. I found those guys laughable, although I admired the gimmick that was done with them in a scene that involves the forest and a blind girl surrounded by the color red.
Miscalculation of the power of the final twist of the movie? Yes, indeed. I know it's his thing. But sometimes when you try to make those "I-pulled-your-rug" endings on a great scale, it ends up with a cheated, unsatisfied audience. That would be good if the twist was really clever. Case in point, the most under-appreciated movie ever, "Femme Fatale". I was cheated with that movie, but it worked because the surprises made me appreciate what I had seen previously on a different light. This isn't true with "The Village". The twist amounts to absolutely nothing and I felt profoundly indifferent towards it.
There is someone out there who will love the crap out of "The Village". It's not bad to the point where it can't be enjoyed. But it left me as cold and uncaring as I've ever been with a movie.