The Village (2004)

As has been thoroughly chronicled here on TopFiveMovies, M. Night Shyamalan is a cinematic force to be reckoned with. The strength of his stories, the beauty of his pictures, and the surprising and clever twists in his plots have quickly turned him into a top Hollywood filmmaker.

In Shyamalan's latest film, The Village, his star has dimmed ever so slightly.

The cast of The Village is nearly perfect, led by newcomer Bryce Howard (the daughter of Ron Howard) and filled out with great performances from Joaquin Phoenix, William Hurt, and a brilliant performance by Adrien Brody. Miss Howard was absolutely riveting as Ivy Walker, a young blind woman who becomes the unwitting centerpiece in the struggle between the villagers and the strange mythic creatures inhabiting the forbidden woods at the village's border. Howard and co-star Joaquin Phoenix strike up an uneasy, innocent, but strong relationship that serves as the impetus for conflict, change, and resolution.

The only weakness in the cast was Sigourney Weaver who struck me as just happy to be in a good movie for a change - and not very believable as Phoenix's mother. But I digress...

Unfortunately, the story let me down.

The idea of the story was great. A village of resolute but threatened idealists squares off against forces real and imagined, internal and external. The initial execution was great. The introduction of the villagers and the establishment of the story were done with grace and subtlety. But, some of the standard Shyamalan "twists" came way too soon and/or were a bit too predictable - which robbed the movie's second half of potential drama and tension and robbed the ultimate revelation of its gravity.

In all, The Village was rich and ultimately rewarding, if not a bit ill-paced.

(Fire away, Shyamalites...)