Pros: Bryce Dallas Howard's excellent portrayal, an engaging love story (at first)
Cons: a twist that undermines the film, instead of entertaining
The Bottom Line: Only see this movie if you must see every Shyamalan film,
enjoy thinking about how to improve a movie, or want to see the promising Bryce Dallas Howard.
"Verily, I do. But why is it that so many circles are of yellow?"
"I have heard that there was once another color, as well."
"What wouldst that color be?"
"It is the color that we do not speak of."
The Village is like two movies in one. Unfortunately, while one is very good, the other is not.
M. Night Shyamalan is known for films with a shocking or surprising twist. It was clear before I started watching this film, that Shyamalan was not about to diverge from his formula. I saw this movie at a preview the day before it opened, and one of the people hosting the preview read a statement asking us not to reveal the twist.
The first part of the movie is the setup, before the twist becomes apparent. This part was mostly wonderful. Except for stilted dialog, this was an engaging portrayal of a time and place where life seemed more innocent. Maybe 100 or so people live in an isolated village, living off their sheep and vegetables. The story of the competing love interests was engaging, and Bryce Dallas Howard did a marvelous job in her role as an interesting and unusual young woman. I look forward to seeing her in future movies. Sometimes Adrien Brody's character was a little over the top, with his maniacal cackling. But he also showed fun, gentle, and confused sides to his character, which made up for the shortcomings. I found William Hurt's portrayal stiff, but perhaps he was just given too many awkward lines.
However there's more to the village than first meets the eye. Who are the people or creatures in the woods who threaten the village? Will the truce last? What's up with the color red?
The twist was neither shocking nor surprising (especially with so much foreshadowing), and the story once you know the twist is somewhat silly and not engaging.
If Shyamalan had decided to tell the story of an isolated village, and forget about doing a film with a twist, this would have been an excellent film. Unfortunately, that part is only 50% of the film, and you almost forget how wonderful the first part was by the time you get to the end.
This film would have worked with the twist if it had been told by another viewpoint... there are some characters who undergo significant change toward the end of the film, but as they are not the main or even supporting roles, I couldn't bring myself to care.
The first part of this movie demonstrates that Shyamalan has some great potential. Hopefully, next time he'll realize that his formula doesn't work any more.
Set in rural Pennsylvania in the late 1800s, a town is isolated from the rest of the world by a menacing forest that contains terrifying creatures.More at eCOST.com
The Village depicts the thrilling tale of an isolated town confronting the astonishing truth that lies just outside its borders. At first glance, this...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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