Him From The Village
On taking my seat to see The Village, I looked around at the inattentive studes and Asian babes amongst the audience and concluded that I was almost certainly the only one there keen to see William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver re-united (at last!) for the first time since Peter Yates' Eyewitness (1981). This was the film that British Film Industry idiots re-named as 'The Janitor' for UK distribution, presumably on the grounds that a title alluding to someone witnessing a murder was much less enthralling than one suggesting a documentary about a caretaker.
Anyway, as usual, I digress: what you really want to know is was the film any good and was the twist any cop? In short, the answer to those questions is yes, and a qualified yes. The film has many admirable qualities, including a desire to create its own mythology amongst the comicbook adaptations and TV show remakes that otherwise litter up the summer schedules. It's also a film unashamedly aimed at adults with its deliberate pacing, exquisite framing and thoughtful story all unlikely to occupy younger viewers (so leave the kids at home for this one, particularly if you haven't got any as you're likely to be arrested).
As for the big climactic twist, it was pretty much the one I expected from the plot synopsis, but this didn't spoil my enjoyment of the suspense as it built up and the film throws up enough distractions to keep you on the backfoot even if you suspect you know where it's all heading. It does all require quite a bit of contrivance, however, and occasionally the exposition feels clumsy and I thought the denouement could have had more impact with more skilful handling.
The performances were generally pretty good, making the best of some variable dialogue, and newcomer Bryce Dallas Howard was suitably luminous as the blind redhead who supplies the heart of the movie. It has to be said, though, that Parallax View trusts that Adrien Brody, Sigourney Weaver and Michael Pitt all received handsome paycheques for relatively minor roles that make scant use of their considerable talents. M Night Shyamalan does, however, snag for himself a suitably outrageous Hitchcock-style cameo towards the end of the film.
In conclusion then: go see the film and stop worrying about the twist, all the better to absorb the atmosphere, suspense, thoughtful storytelling and stunning visuals. It's a flawed movie, but still retains enough good qualities to reward the patient, attentive viewer.
On taking my seat to see The Village, I looked around at the inattentive studes and Asian babes amongst the audience and concluded that I was almost certainly the only one there keen to see William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver re-united (at last!) for the first time since Peter Yates' Eyewitness (1981). This was the film that British Film Industry idiots re-named as 'The Janitor' for UK distribution, presumably on the grounds that a title alluding to someone witnessing a murder was much less enthralling than one suggesting a documentary about a caretaker.
Anyway, as usual, I digress: what you really want to know is was the film any good and was the twist any cop? In short, the answer to those questions is yes, and a qualified yes. The film has many admirable qualities, including a desire to create its own mythology amongst the comicbook adaptations and TV show remakes that otherwise litter up the summer schedules. It's also a film unashamedly aimed at adults with its deliberate pacing, exquisite framing and thoughtful story all unlikely to occupy younger viewers (so leave the kids at home for this one, particularly if you haven't got any as you're likely to be arrested).
As for the big climactic twist, it was pretty much the one I expected from the plot synopsis, but this didn't spoil my enjoyment of the suspense as it built up and the film throws up enough distractions to keep you on the backfoot even if you suspect you know where it's all heading. It does all require quite a bit of contrivance, however, and occasionally the exposition feels clumsy and I thought the denouement could have had more impact with more skilful handling.
The performances were generally pretty good, making the best of some variable dialogue, and newcomer Bryce Dallas Howard was suitably luminous as the blind redhead who supplies the heart of the movie. It has to be said, though, that Parallax View trusts that Adrien Brody, Sigourney Weaver and Michael Pitt all received handsome paycheques for relatively minor roles that make scant use of their considerable talents. M Night Shyamalan does, however, snag for himself a suitably outrageous Hitchcock-style cameo towards the end of the film.
In conclusion then: go see the film and stop worrying about the twist, all the better to absorb the atmosphere, suspense, thoughtful storytelling and stunning visuals. It's a flawed movie, but still retains enough good qualities to reward the patient, attentive viewer.
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