The Village Review by Cameron McCasland

The Village
a review by Cameron McCasland



M. Knight Shyamalan returns with another secret, and a twist in The
Village. His fourth film while enjoyable really shows the wear of forcing a
twist ending on the masses. The whole story seems to be written around the
signature plot twist that won him his fame with the Sixth Sense.

The story takes place in a 19th century Village secluded away from the rest
of the world for an entire generation. It has been prosperous and a
nurturing environment for the townspeople to reside in. Though heartache
has reached the villagers in the sickness and death of friends and family
members. Therein lies the conflict in this story. Lucius (Joaquin Phoenix)
lobbies the town's elders to let him travel to "The Towns" to retrieve
medicine and supplies. He is denied for fear of what lives inside the woods
that border the village of Covinton. "Those we do not speak of" strikes
terror into the hearts of the villagers.

Ivy Walker (Bryce Dallas Howard) is the young straight forward girl that
keeps a rather shy Lucius in discomfort. They realize their love for one
and other after an attack by the monsters. Bryce Dallas Howard steals the
show in her debut. Playing a blind girl, whose confidence is far short of
arrogant and very refreshing in a young actress. She is truly a breakout
and I expect to see more of her.

She is offset by Noah played by Academy Award winner (Adrien Brody). Noah
is a young man plagued by slight mental illness. He is seemingly child-like
in his nature, but his feeling for Ivy wring through. Brody plays his part
well. He does not have as much screen time as you would expect, but demands
your attention when you watch.

Not to be outdone are the main town elders played by (William Hurt) and
veteran horror actress (Sigourney Weaver). They like the rest of the cast
can seem a little flat with the 19th century dialogue, but worth a mention
none the less.

The movie begins its twist and turn early and peppered throughout are hints
at what is to come. The disadvantage this film has is that people are
looking for Shyamalan's signature on this one throughout. After a ghost
story, a comic book movie, and an alien tale that resembled Night of the
living dead and war of the worlds...The magic is more rabbits in hats than
smoke and mirrors. I enjoyed the Village for what it was, but I knew what I
was getting into, the shock value is all but gone.

For what Shyamalan has lost in shock value he has gained in pacing and
production. The over all look and feel of the picture is provided by
Cinematographer Roger Deakins (Shawshank Redemption, House of Sand and Fog,
Fargo). Who always lets you see the monsters... without seeing the monsters.

Production Designer Tom Foden (The Cell, One Hour Photo) gives The Village
that classic lived in look. It all came together for some stunning visuals.

The monsters are something to be seen (though with little screen time, it
is left more to the imagination) a very scary costume design done without
CGI. It has the old school feel of a man in a suit....but built upon a
solid design.

Shyamaln delivers a two part allegory. One plays to the aspect of the
roles of good and evil and man&Mac226;s inherent desire towards evil since the
Garden of Eden. The other is a political take on a modern day government
that uses fear to keep people complacent, making decisions behind closed
doors for the good of the whole without explaining its actions. He also
again pays his homage to Alfred Hitchcock with his cameo. It does not feel
forced, but you can tell he took extra special care to shoot it the way he
wanted.

The DVD leaves something to be desired. It is presented in its original
aspect ratio 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. THX certified, with Dolby
Digital 5.1-EX audio track. It is not one for a home theater demo, but
solid. For the first time M. Knight skips the commentary track. You are
treated to several short making of documentaries that transcend into a
twenty four minute doc titled "De-constructing the Village". It takes you
through the process of making the movie from writing, casting, and all the
way to the editing room. Eleven minutes of deleted scenes find Shyamalan
explaining his cuts and second guessing his choices. Bryce Dallas Howard&Mac226;s
Diary is a five minute treat that well documents her feeling in shooting the
movie. It is topped off by another childhood short from Shyamalan. A
parody of Raiders of the Lost Ark, reaffirming my position on how
influential the Indiana Jones Series has been for my generation of film
makers.

The DVD is a good watch altogether. The movie is enjoyable and boast a
couple of good scares. The DVD has enough extras to not leave you feeling
ripped off, and at the same time not overwhelming with mounds of
featurettes. A solid movie.