Geoff's Movie Reviews

M. Night Shyamalan’s Lady in the Water is unlike all other M.N.S. films -- in fact, it’s really unlike any other film I’ve seen, and that alone, despite a few loose ends and questionable plot and directorial choices, makes it worth watching.

To reveal much in the way of plot here would almost be spoiling the film, though in a sense I hesitate to use any variation on the word "spoiler" because -- thankfully -- there is no major 'twist' or 'reveal' in Lady in the Water. Instead, above all else, this film is really about the telling of a story and the unfolding of its various layers (the "lady in the water" is actually named Story), and it is something that should be witnessed firsthand.

It should also be said, however, that this is the kind of movie you really have to give yourself over to. I will admit that the plot could be taken as rather silly, and if you latch on to that mindset rather than embrace it for what it is, the way the story is revealed might seem a bit arbitrary, with all the various developments, turns, and clues possibly coming off as too bizarre, spontaneous, or convenient. What I believe Shyamalan is going for here, though (and this was heavily hinted at in the early previews for the film, in which it was labelled as a "bedtime story") is a sort of fairy tale -- and more specifically, I think he's trying to give us a sense of what it might be like to witness the creation or birth of an entirely new fairy tale. If you think about it, most fairy tales that we grew up with are really quite silly -- they just don't seem that way because we grew up with them. What if an entirely new fairy tale was unearthed, and the person who unearthed it was someone like the lonely apartment caretaker named Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti)? And what if that fairy tale turned out to be real? I think that's the 'point' of Lady in the Water, and I thoroughly enjoyed thinking about those questions as I watched the film.

It's not Shyamalan's best film (I'd give that honour to Signs): there are a few loose ends dangling around (which, to me, suggests a few key scenes possibly hitting the cutting-room floor), the directing isn't as strong as Shyaman's other efforts, and quite frankly, I think Shyamalan should simply stop giving himself roles in his own films. Nevertheless, Lady in the Water has a number of good scary moments, lots of humour, and the acting from the leads is excellent. Most of all, it's so unusual -- in a unique and magical way -- that it was really a pleasure to watch.