A victim of his own success...

Rating: 9/10 (7 August 2004)

With The Sixth Sense, M. Night Shyamalan took what was essentially a run-of-the-mill ghost story (albeit a well thought out run-of-the-mill ghost story), gave it one wallop of a twist ending, and thus became an overnight wonder boy that cursed all of his follow-up films. I found Unbreakable to be dull and unimaginative, while Signs was taut, exciting and frightening. The ending, put me off with its simplicity on how the aliens are defeated, but not enough to not feel fully entertained, or that I hadn't gotten my money's worth. However, neither of those films lived up to the expectations that were placed upon them.
Now, Shyamalan takes us into The Village, and judging by the horrendous write-ups, coupled with the film's nosedive at the box office, not many people enjoyed the trip.
William Hurt, Joaquin Phoenix, Sigourney Weaver and Adrien Brody are residents in a sleepy 19th century village surrounded by deeps woods. The woods are inhabited by creatures that the town's people have a shaky truce with. For reasons that aren't fully, clearly explained (one of the films few faults), that truce seems to have ended, and the creatures begin to assault the village. A series of events climax with the daughter of the town father venturing into the woods to seek help from the outside.
To say anything more would risk giving away the big twist that Shyamalan is expected to deliver in each of his movies. The Village has a couple of them this time. One that I had an idea about, but was incorrect enough to still be surprised, and one that I had caught on to early on, but didn't fully figure out until right before it's reveal.
Say what you will, but Shyamalan knows how to set up a film. The picture is gorgeous. It's crammed with sweeping vistas, leaf blown woods and skeleton-like trees. The cast, for the most part, is also quite good. I wasn't as in love with Joaquin Phoenix's performance as I was in Signs though. He just kind of sleep walked though this film, and with the exception of one particular conversation on a porch, wasn't given that much to do or say. I know his character is a man of few words, but this tested that boundary. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Adrien Brody walked the line of being credible as a slow-witted adult, and being a cartoon. While his performance wasn't bad, it didn't do much for me either. Bryce Dallas Howard (daughter of Ron) portrays Ivy with such compassion and strength that she shows she's got the chops to be a rising star. I look forward to her next role. Both Weaver and Hurt give strong performance, and the rest of the case fill in nicely. Last, but certainly not least, I need to mention the score. The music is haunting and adds loads of dread and suspense.

*******SPOILERÂ….DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU IF YOU READ THE NEXT PARAGRAPH********
I just need to mention one part of the film that I picked up on, kept going over in my head, and now wonder if it was simply an error on the part of Shyamalan, or meant to be a clue to the ending. The film opens with a funeral. When the camera shows the tombstone in the background, notice the dates, especially the date of death. Even for that date, the village, people, customs and language seem awfully old. If I hadn't noticed the date, I would have guessed the people to be living at least a hundred or more years prior to the date the tombstone shows.

*******END OF SPOILERS **********
The Sixth Sense came from nowhere, and was such a sensation because nobody saw it coming. Shyamalan is now expected to top himself with each film, and none of them can or will reach that height again. The Village is a well thought-out, entertaining film. It may not be perfect, but if any other name was in the writer/director's credit, I think it would be hailed to as close to perfection as one can get.
My grade: A