Review of The Village (2004) by Katrina G — 13 Jan 2013

I do enjoy the movies of M. Night Shyamalan but they carry an inherent fatal flaw which is that once you've seen them, you know the big twist and they are never the same again. I've seen The Village a few times now and the narrative of the story is gripping but because I know what is coming, there is a bit of a loss of tension.

I have to say, I also find one aspect of this movie a bit problematic in the fact that the Adrien Brody character, Noah is not only the village simpleton but also the chief baddie....twice over. For one thing, this feels a bit politically incorrect but also, it lacks credibility.

These points apart, if you've not seen it, it is a spooky, mystery that has a really creepy atmosphere. William Hurt is always a watchable actor and he puts in a typically understated and quiet performance here and there's a real tenderness in the scenes between him and Sigourney Weaver.

Both play elders of a strange American village that seems to be run along puritanical lines but there's a secret that the elders are keeping that explains their isolationist regime. Bryce Dallas Adams plays Ivy, a young, blind woman of the village who is wise beyond her years.

She falls in love with Lucius (Joaquin Phoenix), a cerebral and serious young man who questions some of the rules of the village. All seems to be going well until a terrible event happens which changes everything for Ivy and sends her on a dangerous journey.

This is undoubtedly a well acted and directed movie. The cinematography gives it a magical, fairytale quality but there are shortcomings with the story tht mean it doesn't really merit a higher grading.