Actually, I've always been a city boy.

Rating: Null/10 (12 September 2004)

M. Night Shyamalan was allegedly less than pleased with how "Stuart Little" (which he co-wrote) turned out. After "The Village" I know which one I'd happily see again (clue: not the one which doesn't have talking animals).
The man must have been influenced by "The Twilight Zone" growing up; fondness for twist endings aside (though I still think "The Sixth Sense" was better when it was called "Jacob's Ladder"), "Signs" isn't far removed from "The Invaders," and "The Village" is similarly not a thousand miles removed from "A Hundred Yards Over The Rim" - but whereas "Signs" was an improvement over its predecessor, this one would have Rod Serling rolling in his grave. For those who haven't seen that episode, it's set in the 19th century and involves Cliff Robertson leaving a wagon train to seek medication for his ill son... it wouldn't be fair to go further, but what happens to him isn't completely dissimilar to what happens to the main character in the movie. Apart, of course, from it being short, well written, well acted, and not being pretentious drivel.
"The Village" is hopelessly convinced it's more meaningful than it really is - Roger Deakins' striking(ish) photography doesn't make up for pacing that aims for "thoughtful" and "careful" but hits "boring" and "up itself" instead, and actionably-bad acting from just about everyone except Bryce Dallas Howard (the movie's real star) and Joaquin Phoenix, who presumably agreed to do his second MNS movie in a row after seeing that he wouldn't be subjected to much of the flatter-than-Gwen-Stefani's-chest dialogue. As is often the case, the score from Shyamalan regular James Newton Howard also gives a lot more than it gets (apparently you need to be called Howard to come out positively in this movie); it pleased me that the credits gave the solo violinist Hilary Hahn prominent placing.
The movie has one or two jolting moments to try and keep the viewers awake, but the moment of revelation only opens up plot holes bigger than the giant pit that comes into play at one point, and the abrupt ending caused some audience members to wonder if they'd missed something (they'd come in after the movie started, but only about five minutes after) - I did actually find myself going "That was IT?!?" when "AN M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN FILM" came up suddenly. (He always has to put himself above everyone else - whereas all the other opening credits here move towards the camera, his credit moves back. And that habit of giving himself pompous cameos has got to go; even the most fervent Steven Spielberg-hater must admit his ego isn't that big.)
I liked "Signs," I didn't really hate what I saw of "Unbreakable," and Shyamalan's certainly got a good eye, but he could stand to stop thinking he's a genius if he can't deliver. Or let someone else either write or direct for a change.