| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Bryce Dallas Howard | ... | ||
| Joaquin Phoenix | ... | ||
| Adrien Brody | ... | ||
| William Hurt | ... | ||
| Sigourney Weaver | ... | ||
| Brendan Gleeson | ... | ||
| Cherry Jones | ... | ||
| Celia Weston | ... |
Vivian Percy
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John Christopher Jones | ... |
Robert Percy
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| Frank Collison | ... |
Victor
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| Jayne Atkinson | ... | ||
| Judy Greer | ... | ||
| Fran Kranz | ... | ||
| Michael Pitt | ... | ||
| Jesse Eisenberg | ... |
Jamison
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M Night Shyamalan's The Villiage revolves around a desolate town in Pennsylvania. The residents of this town live simply and without the means of a modern world - no tv, modern medications. They live by strict rules - They are not to leave the village or the monsters beyond their boundaries will surely attack them. Lucius and Ivy have an attraction - a strong one. But when Noah - a man with an intellectual disability and whom also has feelings for Ivy, finds out that the two are In love, Noah attacks Lucius. He will die if brave Ivy (who is blind) does not breach the borders and find help to save Lucius. Written by Erin Foster
I went to see M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village" today.
First things first... I won't even discuss a SINGLE aspect of the plot, here, so you can read this safely. I will say this: If you plan to see the movie, do not read a single review (besides mine!). As with most of Shyamalan's films, the less you know about the plot going in, the better.
As far as the quality of the film... it is solid. Beautifully directed, well acted, dramatic, scary, sometimes funny, and with some great plot twists. It is not as good as "The Sixth Sense", but it's probably not fair to keep comparing Shyamalan's work to his first big hit, one of the best psychological horror films ever made. A director could work his entire career and never make a SINGLE film as good as "The Sixth Sense", let alone recapture that movie's amazing brilliance.
But, I hear you asking, is "The Village" better than "Unbreakable" and "Signs" (Shyamalan's second and third films)??? Well, that depends on what you thought of those films. Personally, I'd probably say that it is a better film than those two. At the very least it is more sophisticated, with stronger themes, a much bigger and better cast, and more subtle surprises than in those two films.
"The Village" continues Shyamalan's pattern of there being twists in the plot, but this time there are SEVERAL of them and they occur sporadically throughout the film... not one big one at the end. You WILL be surprised by the film, but don't expect to be bowled over.
I would describe this as his most subtle film, and also as more of a character study than a horror film. The characters here are very rich, and their interactions and relationships with one another are very rewarding in big and small ways. The acting is phenomenal, most noticeably by Academy Award winner Adrian Brody and Joaquin Phoenix. But first time actress Bryce Dallas Howard (Ron Howard's daughter), William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver all give solid performances as well.
"The Village" is a character study of how a community and individuals respond under pressure and fear. And while it has elements of horror, I'm not even sure I would describe it as a horror film.
But don't get me wrong, there are some real scary moments in the film... just don't go in expecting a roller coaster ride. While I was watching it, I kept thinking about some of the better episodes of The Twilight Zone that had a few thrills but left you thinking about human nature more than anything.
Go see "The Village", but bring someone with you.