(phill theatre, 8/12/04, by self, 3:40pm)

(the following does not give away any plot points)

this movie is, in my opinion, amazing. i cannot speak highly enough of it, i promise. i know a lot of people have spoken badly of it. but you should listen to me and see it anyway.

the thing about it is that it is so well-written and the plot is so well-conceived. it's both complex and simple at the same time. pretty much no other movie that i've seen recently has the ability to grip the viewer so completely and enthrall them. it sort of reminded me of when i was writing that fractured fairy tale murder mystery game. you have to create all these ulterior motives and sub-story lines which connect in novel ways in order to make the spectacle interesting. MKS movies do that. he writes and directs a damn fine movie.

besides that, he has some incredible talent in the film. this new girl, bryce dallas howard, is stunning. her playing of the character ivy walker is superb. flawless, delicate beauty. joaquin phoenix is also amazing, playing a character type i don't think i've ever seem him do before. versatile. william hurt is fantastic. cherry jones' 'i love you' speech is delightful. sigourney weaver i could give or take. but she had some great moments, particularly when interacting with william hurt at the wedding. adrien brody also does a tremendous job, i thought.

5 hours after watching this movie, i was watching something else back at home and all i wanted to do was go back and see the village again. in comparison to it all other movies in the last few days have paled. it sort of glows with the vibrancy of the good (yellow) and bad (red) colors. excellent, excellent film.