Not the best work from MNS

Rating: Null/10 (9 August 2004)

In spite of the warnings, I went to see this movie over the weekend to see for myself. Everyone in our little group that settled into the seats of the evening show was well aware of the characteristics of the director's offerings in the past and looked for his trademark twists and personal appearance in the film. My wife had the plot diagnosed about halfway through but mercifully let me have some reason to stay once the popcorn had grown cold. The premise of the isolated village being able to support a group of the size depicted in the limited area presented in the movie cast believability out the window very quickly. The poor blind girl presentation was not well presented or acted out with sufficient plausibility to carry the slow start of the other concurrent sub-plots. Finally, the outrageous ending left little doubt that this movie's real purpose was to fulfill some contractual obligation by the director to his financial backers. I much prefer to believe that than to be left to think that this is the work of the master, MNS.
LDJ