Strong performances, interesting premise, leaden writing

Rating: Null/10 (30 July 2004)

For those who attend Shyamalan films waiting to be wrenched around by the twist-as-closure, I anticipate disappointment. Although I quite liked the film, I enjoyed it more for its architecture than for the final reversal.
Like most Shyamalan films, the narrative sequencing is crafty and sharp. The use of voice-over becomes a bit intrusive in some scenes (I think the directorial intention was to offer seasonable reminders, but more often than not, the hovering narrative presence breaks the tension and immediacy of certain moments); the dialogue, in its attempt to simulate a rural, perhaps archaic dialect, is often clunky. The actors are game, delivering their lines with earnestness and commitment, but the voice is sufficiently uniform to make the whole seem rather contrived.
The cast ranges from solid to spectacular. Phoenix plays his Luciius with a quiet gravity. Although he has to deliver some leaden lines to account for his behavior, the behavior itself is winning. Adrien Brody plays Noah with a manic and tender grace that felt sufficiently authentic to me. Bryce Dallas Howard is spectacular, equal parts heart and backbone, with a winning charm that comes through over (and sometimes despite) the dialogue.
There are plenty of internal twists, and I found those more enjoyable than the big finish. As usual, Shyamalan provides the viewer with much to reflect on, and some of the pleasures of the movie will emerge in second and third viewings, as small narrative cues add up to significance.
I had hoped for more, but I left the film reflective and satisfied.