M. Night Shyamalan's The Village

[Jim Johnson]

While not as complete a film as some of Shyamalan's other efforts, I enjoyed The Village. The acting efforts overall were excellent, though I think Ms. Howard stole the show. Joaquin Phoenix made the the most of what he was given, and Adrian Brody did quite well in his role. It was nice to see William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver as well.

While the core of the story is perhaps implausible, especially when you project what the future may have in store for the village, the love story at the center of the film worked beautifully. I think the movie also managed to raise some interesting questions about the choices of child-rearing, and offers a pretty clear view on how violence has become commonplace.

Finally, James Newton Howard delivered another outstanding score. Solid A effort all around.

[Big Jake]

A friend of mine recently saw the movie, and he enjoyed it as well. I'll get around to checking it out sooner or later. Okay, it's going to be later, but I'm going to see.

I'm still not on the M. Night Shyamalan bandwagon. I liked his first movie, but I thought Unbreakable lacked about 30 minutes of dialogue. It was painful for me to sit through several of the "no-speaking-allowed" scenes.

But, then again, I really enjoyed Signs. So, I'm still willing to see each of his movies and base the on their individual merits.

The most important thing I learned from Signs:

If the director of the movie makes a cameo tells you that it's safer somewhere else (like on a lake)... go ahead and believe him.

[Robert Richardson]

"I'm still not on the M. Night Shyamalan bandwagon."

I think the bandwagon effect really hurt this movie. Shyamalan's always hyped as the new master of terror, and other monikers I find generally misapplied. 'The Village' is marketed as a supernatural horror film, which it most definitely is not.

I've written up my thoughts on 'The Village' and its themes of risk and innocence over at The Internet Review of Science Fiction (http://www.irosf.com/q/zine/article/10076), if any are curious.

[Jenny Scott]

Robert Richardson wrote:

I think the bandwagon effect really hurt this movie. Shyamalan's always hyped as the new master of terror, and other monikers I find generally misapplied. 'The Village' is marketed as a supernatural horror film, which it most definitely is not.

I agree. The movie didn't quite work for me, but I think it would have worked if it had been marketed as a drama and the story's emphasis had shifted sooner from the terror of the creatures to the terror inflicted by human beings. The setting of the village raises interesting ideas about what the price tag is for a utopia, and I wish the story had plumbed them more deeply.

On the other hand, then it would be an entirely different movie and we probably wouldn't be talking about it on the <I>Amazing Stories</i> messageboards!

Jenny

[Brad Hardman]

We just saw this over the weekend. I loved his other films and really enjoyed this one too. But I wouldn't list it as his best film.

I do think the marketing for the film was really misleading. I'm just glad I didn't get this one spoiled for me, it was kind of predictable in a lot of ways...yet there was at least one or two things the ended up being unexpected to me.

People tend to either really like or really hate his movies.

[Paul Martin]

Definitely a great Shyamalan film. There's no real bandwagon effect here.

What happens is that people are letting the marketting of the film outweigh the fact that this is an M. Night Shyamalan film. It's not going to be a fast paced horror film or any such thing. It's going to take you on a ride through his world watching his characters react to what they've been given.

Here's my order of favorite M. Night films:

1: Signs
2: The Village
3: The Sixth Sense
4: Unbreakable
5: Wide Awake

and I've never seen "Praying with Anger" and I don't know if I ever will.

[Vic Wertz]

I loved The Sixth Sense, even though the ending was spoiled for me by a Late Night with Conan O'Brien segment called "We Spoil the Summer Blockbusters." (I thought they were kidding. Wrongo!)

I liked Unbreakable more than I expected to. Loved the scene with the staircase. (Night sure knows how to use sound effectively.)

I liked Signs less than I expected to; a lot of the plot points were obvious, stupid, or both, but I enjoyed it anyway. (Another movie with great sound, BTW.)

Haven't seen The Village yet, but I plan to buy the DVD the week it comes out.

-Vic.
.

[Cold Steel]

While i'll admit that Signs and The Sixth Sense were quite good; The Village did'nt live up to its' potential. It might as well been titled The Village Idiots.

[Ginja]

In terms of filmmaking The village is by far the best film of Shyamalan. All the scenes are beautifully made and some scenes stay with us for a long time......For example when Joaquin Phoenix expresses is love for Bryce Howard(altough it´s always the same background and all--> still scene) or that scene when Joaquin takes Bryce hand when it´s about to be taken by the monster......& months from it and i still play those scenes in my head...
I also think it´s more of a romance and that´s why it didn´t get the usual reviews or liking of the public.....Everybody was expecting more of the same... and i´m glad he didn´t give it...

In terms of story i have to admit that Unbreakable is still my favorite... i just love the supehero theme and his take was very interesting....

See ya

[Airsucker]

I liked it.

He took a typically cheesy plotline and did some rather nice work with it.

I'm glad that his movies aren't usually typical horror movies, since I don't particularly care for the genre