M. Night Shyamalan's The Village

[Ravi]

how has he felt about the other Shyamalan flicks?

3 stars to Sixth Sense and Unbreakble.  4 stars to Signs.

So far it has garnered only 45% positive reviews at Rotten Tomatoes.

[©brad]

blah. jeremy's review is spot on. shyamalan gets on my nerves for many reasons, mainly b/c of his ego which rivals tarantino's. sixth sense was good, the rest: B-L-A-H. they really should throw up a title card before the opening credits of all his movies -"MAY CAUSE EXTREME BORDEM AND DROWSINESS"

[Jeremy Blackman]

You know, the morning after, this movie is ten times more intriguing to me than it was last night. I somehow wish all the absurdity was intentional.

[Myxo]

I still hold that Unbreakable was his finest film.

[Ravi]

I started worrying about this film when the only reviewers' quotes in the TV ads were from the likes of "CBS-TV."

[Alethia]

this movie bored me.  it was genuinely boring.

[Finn]

SPOILER!!!

My thoughts is that the idea for the movie was good, but it didn't work as a whole. There was too much that wasn't explained (as with "Unbreakable"). The fact that it takes place in modern times and that the townspeople were isolating themselves was a really good one. But I think it could've been more than what it was.

[picolas]

saw Unbreakable on the tv to see if he went bad during or before Signs. i'd say it was it was 15 minutes into Unbreakable. from there its all the same thing over and over.

[modage]

******WARNING-MAJOR, MAJOR, MAJOR SPOILERS*******************

i really really really wish i hadn't read that.  i dont think i've ever spoiled a movie for myself that badly. i was just trying to scroll down the page!  the explanation makes total sense, and i cant see any other explanation.  if anyones movies you dont want ruined, that HINGE on the very notknowingness of the twist!?!?

oh leatherface, why oh why did i read your spoilers oh so many months ago and ruin the experience for myself.

[The Perineum Falcon]

I did enjoy this movie.
Like most others (if not ALL), I wish the ending wasn't quite what it was, and it was disappointing (especially since I had accidently read the spoiler months ago =/), but I still liked the movie.
And I wasn't at all surprised to hear nearly everyone in the theater say, "that sucked!" or "That was the biggest waste of time ever!"
Despite them, and despite the ending (let's just pretend it didn't happen), I thought this may have been Shyamalan's strongest effort since the Sixth Sense (and, in some ways, I enjoyed this more).  I wish he'd get as far away as he can from his gimmick-twist-endings. They just feel tacked on to me. I personally think he's a great film maker, but that his tricks are holding him back from being something even better than he is now.
Maybe he'll come to his senses with his next one??

Oh well, I'm seeing it again on Sunday with a different group since I told them I would (can't back out of it!), so I'll see if my thoughts on this one stand up to the second viewing.

[Ghostboy]

It's highly intriguing, somewhat admirable, and mostly a complete failure.  JB's comment about the gentleness is right on. He seems so strongly to want to tell an emotional story (that he got the inspiration for this while working on Wuthering Heights is obvious), but he also felt the need to retain that 'one great idea' that he always talks about. In the end, no one wins.

His direction seemed off, too. Everything about 'Signs' and 'Unbreakable' (especially 'Signs') felt perfect...every shot had a purpose, everything built towards the climax. Here, he does a couple of cool stylistic things, but none of it gels.

Unlike the movie, Bryce Dallas Howard is phenomenal.

SPOILER


Did anyone else think that the creature costume looked a lot like Mum-Ra from Thundercats? That's all I could think of when it was running after her in the woods -- probably the worst scene in the movie, by the way.

I was going to give Shyamalan points for now showing his face in this one -- until that reflection shot. He's always had an ego problem, but this time he doesn't have a good film to back him up.

END SPOILER

[Henry Hill]

I have to say i cant be fair to the movie after last night's viewing. It was hands down the WORST theater experience ive ever had.

  I have to agree with you. I had four middle school girls sitting next to me giggling the entire time. People were laughing throughout.  It was horrible. (Just covering my ass) *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* If that wasn't frickin enough, their is the part where Ivy is slapping Noah for what he has done to Luscious. (I also had no idea that the ending was going to be what it was. I was totally shocked.) *END SPOILER*  This kid that works there was jumping up and down in the doorway acting like an asshole and laughing. I wanted to jump up out of my seat and throw his pigmented ass againts the wall.
   With the exception of all of this....I enjoyed the film.  I wish, however, I hadn't seen Ebert on Leno the night before.  He totally trashed the movie and said the "twist ending" was obvious.  I am now taking Ebert with a grain of salt.  I totally disagreed with him for, as long as I can remember , the first time.  Roeper liked it, and he doesn't like anything.
   I was just so engrossed in the film the entire time, I had to block out all of the distractions.  The film was shot beautifully.  Did Roger Deakins do Night's other films?  I was surprised to see his name up there. He did an awesome job.  Another thing that bugged me is Night's cameo.  The cameo itself did not bug me, it was the people in the theater saying how "stupid" and "gay" it was.  Um....obviously they have never seen an Alfred Hitchcock film.  Granted he never gave himself an actual part to my knowledge, but just the same.  I don't mind it.  The cast was amazing. William Hurt is one of the most underrated actors out there. I cannot say enought about Bryce Dallas Howard.  It was as if she has been in a hundred movies.  She was so good in this.  I look forward to her future work.
  Half the theater laughed off the film.  I went in with such high expectations, because I love his other three films.  Signs just blew me away.  So after this I feel like I should be laughing too, but I didn't get the joke. I really did like this film as much as maybe I probably shouldn't.  I don't care.  M. Night has my vote.  The Village    

[modage]

It's highly intriguing, somewhat admirable, and mostly a complete failure.  JB's comment about the gentleness is right on. He seems so strongly to want to tell an emotional story (that he got the inspiration for this while working on Wuthering Heights is obvious), but he also felt the need to retain that 'one great idea' that he always talks about. In the end, no one wins.

His direction seemed off, too. Everything about 'Signs' and 'Unbreakable' (especially 'Signs') felt perfect...every shot had a purpose, everything built towards the climax. Here, he does a couple of cool stylistic things, but none of it gels.

Unlike the movie, Bryce Dallas Howard is phenomenal.

yep, exactly.  i really liked his last 3 films, but this was just a misfire.

[ProgWRX]

but such a beautiful misfire, isnt it?

the more i think about it and discuss it in retrospect, the more i realize good things about it, and makes me want to watch again in another context/situation...

[Finn]

To me the movie is frustrating. Like In the Cut, it has some many beautiful elements to it but some many problems as well. The  cinematography, score and some unforgettable shots makes it a beautiful failure. But that's what it is ultimately - a failure.