Watching The Village

The Village isn't as bad as some critics say it is. Yeah, there's the patented Shyamalan twist somewhere in there. Yeah, there's a lot of palpable atmospheric tension trying to figure out what kind of monsters lie beyond the said village's boundaries. And yeah, there are a lot of refreshingly long takes of hushed conversations about "the things we do not speak of..."

Don't worry, I'm not going to reveal anything. But people: you shouldn't go into a movie such as The Village and concentrate solely on the film's "twist."

As a matter of fact, the point isn't just the "twist." It's the story and the storytelling that matter. What's the punchline without the setup? The spike without the set?

Of course, one kind of goes into a Shyamalan movie to get entertained by some kind of con game, so maybe he should get a different shtick and tell a "normal" story. But I thought The Village was a well-acted and well-crafted drama, not horror movie or thriller per se (although there are a few thrills thrown in). And yes, I'll admit that Shyamalan's "punchline" or "spike" in this case is a little weak, but it's certainly not a deal breaker.

Underneath its surface twists and improbabilities lie a haunting and riveting allegory on love and fear, and how both are perceived by different people. If you like Shyamalan's movies, you'll probably like The Village. It's certainly not one of his best, but is unique among this summer's blockbusters.