Thursday, March 3, 2005

Review of "The Village"

People didn't like "The Village," and I can see where they're coming from - it's slow and, being based in the 1800's, difficult to watch at times. But I went into the film with open eyes and came away enjoying it. The film's pacing is measured and hands out bits and pieces of the plot like tiny treasures, forcing the viewer to SLOW DOWN and watch what is happening on the screen to figure out what's to come. And that's the whole point of the film - in our everyday lives, it would serve us well to slow down and pay attention to what is around us. M. Night is known for his twists and while this film also has one that I saw coming, it serves as a poignant and insightful commentary on today's American society. I also think he's intentionally moving away from the "Big Twist" ending to lower expectations and take the pressure off. Instead of forcing him to come up with one giant gimmick for each film, this film and his last, "Signs," contained smaller twists, allowing M. Night to concentrate more on his direction and storytelling. I, for one, think it bodes well for his future films.

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