Beyond the boundaries (From Western Telegraph)

Beyond the boundaries

This week sees the release of The Village, directed and written by the talented Mr M. Night Shyamalan, which most people seem to think is a return to form, though it doesn't, perhaps nothing ever will, top the impact of Sixth Sense.

The Village is a creepy little tale set in an isolated village in old Pennsylvania. It's a picture perfect place, or so it seems, but it has a very bizarre and scary secret.

The villagers live under the constraints of a bizarre pact. They know that there are strange and dangerous creatures living in the woods around the village.

As long as the close-knit community never leave the borders of the village they are safe and so the pact has remained as the years go by. But Lucius Hunt (played by the wonderfully enigmatic Joaquin Phoenix) is curious and headstrong.

Seeking medical supplies from the villages beyond the wood, he plans to step beyond the boundaries of the village and into the unknown. The pact is broken.

Animal carcasses, devoid of fur, begin to appear around the village, causing the council of elders to fear for the safety of the villagers. It's a grim problem not easily fixed.

The Village has an amazing cast of quality actors, including William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver and also introduces Bryce Dallas Howard, who is the daughter of actor turned Oscar-winning director Ron Howard. The one I can't wait to see though is Phoenix. Perhaps his brother's untimely death, which has made River Phoenix a legend, has overshadowed the career of Joaquin.

From his earliest performances his sensitivity has exhibited a depth in every character that no writer can put onto a page. His performance as the emperor in Gladiator made Crowe, in fact made the whole movie look better than it was.

Only the menace of an enemy can really build a hero, and Phoenix's pompous, pretentious, twisted, jealous emperor was incredibly complex.

So, I haven't seen The Village, but all things considered you'd be a raving loon not to give the Olympics a miss for just one night to see The Village.

If his last offerings are anything to go by, you'll at least have something to think about or discuss afterwards.

And any chance to see Joaquin Phoenix alongside William Hurt is worth taking.