The Village Movie Review 2004

So is Shyamalan a one-trick director or are we just anticipating a trick in every film he directs? This solemn supernatural thriller is set in a 19th Century village whose insular, fearful inhabitants have formed an uneasy, unspoken truce with the monsters that live in the woods that surround it. The village elders forbid anyone to go beyond the perimeter but Lucius (Phoenix) becomes determined to defy them. Lucius is in love with blind Ivy (Howard), who is also loved by the village idiot Noah (Brody in an unfortunate role). Except that it's Ivy who finally enters the woods and is soon hearing scary noises coming in her direction. The payoff doesn't measure up to the portentousness. Maybe it's time Shyamalan does a comedy.

Distribution

Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521-1120, Toll-free: 800-723-4763, URL: http://www.bvhe.com

Available on DVD
Running time 120 minutes.
Originally from United States.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Supernatural Horror, Period Piece: 19th Century, Top Grossing Films of 2004, Trees & Forests, Mystery & Suspense, Mental Retardation, Homicide, Blindness

Screenplay

M. Night Shyamalan

Cast

Joaquin Rafael (Leaf) Phoenix, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Adrien Brody, Bryce Dallas Howard, Judy Greer, Jayne Atkinson, Frank Collison, Brendan Gleeson, Cherry Jones, Liz Stauber, Celia Weston, Michael Pitt, John Christopher Jones, Fran Kranz

Cinematography

Roger Deakins

Director

M. Night Shyamalan

Music

James Newton Howard

Other

Tod A. Maitland, Christopher Tellefsen, Michael Manson, Tim Beach, Chris Shriver, Ann Roth, Tom Foden

Producer

Scott Rudin, Sam Mercer, M. Night Shyamalan, Blinding Edge Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Buena Vista