Starring:
Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Brendan Gleeson and Judy Greer

Writer/Director:
M. Night Shyamalan

Running Time:
108 mins

Out to buy on DVD 31/01/05

• Twisting and turning plot
• An ending that you will never guess
• Bryce Dallas Howard is exceptional
• First rate ensemble cast

• Why do M. Night Shyamalan's movies always have to have twists in them?

"Don't let them in"

Surrounded by dark, foreboding woods, the people of the village had an uneasy truce with the creatures that lives there. They stayed out of the valley and the people never strayed into their woods. It had been like this for more than twenty years but for some reason the creatures were starting to stir. As the noises from woods became loader and sightings of the creatures became all the more frequent, Lucius Hunt (Phoenix) suggested that the villagers need to send someone to the town to get help and that he would volunteer.

Director M. Night Shyamalan throws more twists and turns your way with The Village but is he turning into a one-trick pony?

When you go and see a movie by the writer/producer/director you know what to expect and this film will not disappoint fans. His trademark twist and turny plot will have you guessing to the point when the big reveal actually happens. This is the appeal of his movies. You simply can just let them wash over you because you have to watch so intently to look for clues that will lead you to the probable outcome but then you will be way off anyway. This is Shyamalan's skill as a writer and director, as he makes you theorise all the way through the movie and then he throws his curve ball.

Shyamalan has gathered together an ensemble cast that doesn't have a big star to hog all the limelight. This puts the emphasis more on the story than one individual and this works very well, making the movie his most suspenseful yet. Now there is no outright leading figure, meaning everyone is in peril and anyone could be meet a grizzly end.

The cast itself is first rate. Joaquin Phoenix provides a rather subdued performance as Lucius Hunt but this is just what the character needed. He is a quite man, who only speaks when he needs to but what he says is extremely relevant. It is easy to forget how good an actor William Hurt can actually be. As village leader Edward Walker, he commands your attention every time he graces the screen, portraying a man most people would follow. The same can be said for Sigourney Weaver and Brendan Gleeson as both their characters command respect within the community but are struggling to conceal what is really going on. Adrian Brody proves that his Oscar win was no fluke with another fine performance as Noah Percy, the mentally challenged villager who sees the world through a child's eyes.

The real star of the film is up and coming actress Bryce Dallas Howard. The daughter of Oscar winning director Ron Howard, is a talent waiting to be discovered and this film should propel her into the major leagues. As Ivy Walker, the blind daughter of village leader Edward, Howard excels in creating a character that you want to follow into those dreaded woods.

The successes of The Village far out way most of the shortcomings of Shyamalan's script and his filmmaking style. He succeeds in creating a suspenseful atmosphere and a sense of dread during the increased activity of the creatures. The twist and turns of the plot keep you guessing throughout but the problem is that you seem to spend more time guessing what is coming next and what the final twist is going to be than you do actually listening to what is going on. It is so easy to starting thinking of the different plot possibilities when something is revealed that you can easily miss something completely obvious. But this is what Shyamalan does best and what makes his films so talked about.

The Village provides plenty of twists and turns to keep Shyamalan fans happy and everyone else enthralled. You know a final big twist is coming and it is one that you will never guess (people who say they did are big lairs). The writer/director delivers another suspense fantasy drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat but it would be a change if he moved away from what is becoming his trademark and brought us something completely different.

Signs

The Sixth Sense

Unbreakable

---

The Usher Home | Hush, Hush... | The Big Story | The Usher Speaks

Stuck @ Home | Coming Soon | Links | Contact the Usher

2004