The Village (2004) (1 Viewer)

[Mark McLeod]

I've seen it.

Review tomorrow morning

Heavily embargoed until then.

 

[ChrisMatson]

Is that smiley face a good sign?

 

[Ernest Rister]

It has a rotten rating now on RT, and an average score of 6.0...a D-minus.

Here are some excerpts from The New York Times:

The ubiquitous advertisements for "The Village," which opens today nationwide, promise that "nothing can prepare you." Nothing, that is, except M. Night Shyamalan's last three movies and a passing acquaintance with "The Twilight Zone."

[snip]

The last thing I want to do is spoil the fun, meager though it is. I will say, though, that while I am generally pretty obtuse about these matters, I had an inkling early on of where "The Village" was going, which I then dismissed as too ridiculous to consider. When I turned out to be right I felt less vindicated than cheated. The film's ridiculousness would not be so irksome if Mr. Shyamalan did not take his sleight of hand so seriously, if he did not insist on dressing this scary, silly, moderately clever fairy tale in a somber cloak of allegory.

[snip]

At times you do sit up in your chair and crane your neck, as if you could see around the next bend of the story and glimpse what's coming. Then you do see it, and you burst out laughing.

-- Frank Rich, NYT

http://movies2.nytimes.com/2004/07/3...es/30VILL.html

 

[Robert Crawford]

This thread is now designated the Official Discussion Thread for "The Village" please, post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.

All HTF member film reviews of "The Village" should be posted to the Official Review Thread.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.


Crawdaddy

 

[Richard Gilmore]

Seth - I think you nailed it (I guessed the same thing) and if you are right, the Twilight Zone comparisons are valid.

 

[Tim Glover]

Saw this last night at the Midnight premiere. Posted my review in the REVIEW thread.

Seth,

Your #2 explanation is correct.


All in all, a disappointing film. It's hard to take MNS first 3 great films out the mix here, but this film has some issues.

The directing and production seemed good and there were certainly moments of intensity and well placed fear. But those "frightening" moments tend to stick out in a film that is not very emotionally involving.

The lead actress is terrific though and I expect good things from her in the future.

Throughout the film, Sigourney Weaver just didn't fit. I kept thinking and seeing Sigourney Weaver instead of her character. It wasn't the only thing that took me out of the film though.

I did think the score (James Newton Howard) was great.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

As I've heard it, Seth's #1 was the previous ending until a reshoot occured
after much anger and consternation. They are both about the same on the "no interest" for me. No more comments from me...I haven't seen it

Take care,
Chuck

 

[hanson mat]

Tim, I got to see it last night as well, special theater screening. Here is my take, and I have NOT posted a review but here I go...

I found little to be desired with this one. MNS has really mastered the art of involvement. I have to disagree with you about the lack of emotion. Bryce Dallas Howard was incredible, and I was really involved... I agree about Sig Weaver, but her role was very minor in all actuality, so it did not bother me. Her character actually does become the star in a way, but I digress.

Anyways, the score/camera work/and script were mesmerizing, and I could not have asked for a more hypnotic atmosphere. I am seeing it again tonight... I really enjoyed it.

This will be great on a good home setup as well... I will buy the soundtrack FOR SURE.

 

[BridgetJZ]

The soundtrack was one of this film's biggest assets, I don't think that that portion could have been any more well done -- it did exactly what a soundtrack should do, become almost like another character in the film.

Bryce Dallas Howard and William Hurt shined -- their acting in this film is just unparalleled.

As far as the storyline is concerned, I thought that it's a good tale about how

fear can be used to manipulate people


I also found myself really attached to the love story b/w Ivy and Lucius -- I think that was an aspect of the film that was very well constructed


All in all, I was fairly pleased.

 

[Elizabeth S]

I went to a sneak preview last night. I've never seen such security -- the studio is so afraid of pirating that we were all subjected to bag searches and metal detector scans. And after the movie started, security watched the audience with night vision goggles to detect the use of any photo capturing equipment. The studio rep kept repeating that it's because the film has not opened yet, and I'm thinking that it's hitting 4,000 screens in about 10 hours! What are you going to do about that?!?!?

Anyhow. . .I was rather disappointed with the film. Shyamalan hasn't had a film that "worked" for me since "The Sixth Sense".

To have a blind damsel in distress is such a cheap tactic. . .and at times, the love story angle and dialogue bordered on bad soap opera. I guessed one of the plot points a bit early, though it wouldn't have necessarily ruined anything if the whole thing didn't turn out so. . . hokey.

I also found myself puzzling over some of Shyamalan's choice of camera angles (something I normally never do with a film). I found myself wondering if Joaquin Phoenix had a limited number of days on set and they had to work around him, because of the shot angle in certain scenes, for example.

That being said, I'm glad I saw it and will continue to follow Shyamalan's work. He does have storytelling flair even if I've been disappointed with parts of the journey and destinations.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

My review.

(ymmv)

 

[Malcolm R]

Well, this appears to be one of those "love it" or "hate it" flicks. I think I'll hedge my bets and rent the DVD later.

 

[Kevin M]

Why was my post doubting the validity of "Ebert's" Review over at DVD Talk left in during the move to this new thread but my follow up post saying:
:was left out?

 

[Darren Haycock]

I really wish I didn't know the ending to this movie, then I'd probably be a little more excited to see it. I still want to though, I love his style. I'm just kinda sick of all these scary movies trying to have twist endings. Seriously, just make a good, strong, dramatic movie. A twist that's expected really isn't a twist at all...It was the best for Sixth Sense when out of nowhere this big ol' surprise comes at the end, when a twist wasn't expected...

 

[Brian-A]

First post. Hooray.

The twist does not make the movie, in my opinion. The strength of the movie is the character studies, the competing philosophies. Go watch it with an open mind, ready to think about things rather than picking out the twist.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

I haven't read any of the above posts. I saw this today but had to leave for an emergency so I missed the last 20 - 25 minutes of the film. I saw the part where Ivy fell into a hole then I had to leave.

Was there more to the film after this? So far, and up to this point, I didn't see anything special. Should I see the last 25 minutes in the theaters or should I just wait for the DVD? If I see have to watch this again for the parts I missed, I definitely wouldn't want to sit through the first 90 minutes again. I'll just see it for the parts I missed.

Please let me know. Thanks.

~Edwin

 

[Matt Stone]

I agree most with BridgetJZ on this one. I thought the film did a good job of showing how fear manipulates, and the fact that no matter where/when you live evil and heartache always exist in some form. Overall, a flawed film that was hit or miss.

3/5

 

[Alex Spindler]

Just saw it and found it to be very disappointing. Not in the way I thought Signs was disappointing (namely that it's twist did not match up to the film that preceded it) but rather that the entire film did not justify it's existance. It is in all seriousness a 30 minute Twilight Zone or Outer Limits episode populated with stars driven by their interest to work with the director rather than merit of the material.

The one positive is that, in this film at least, his huge pregnent pauses in dialogue seemed fitting. I enjoyed the acting, especially from Bryce Howard and William Hurt had his moments. The film features precious little actual suspense, and it quickly becomes apparent that the twist is going to have to be the thing to justify the movie, as it is otherwise an overwrought period romance with some laughable characterizations.

I sincerely hope he decides to avoid trying to make a twist movie as his next one. If he does decide to do another, he will have to seriously conceive of one with more weight and interest than the television fodder we have here.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I had problems with a blind girl finding her way in the forest. How insane is that? Sometimes Ivy was "blind" and sometimes she moved/ran too well for a blind person. And yes, it would have been better as a 30 minute Twilight Zone episode.

Oh, and how about that Shyamalan cameo (in a reflection, no less, after the preceding scene being shot behind his head). Geez.

 

[Ed Moroughan]

Not veering into politics here but anyone else get a Homeland Security vibe from the movie? A review I passed by did but I don't remember which...

EDIT:

NY Times