Lady in the Water Review

by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)
July 28th, 2006
"The Lady in the Water" - Unbreakable Signs
by Homer Yen
(c) 2006

M. Night Shylaman is a storywriter that
skillfully incorporates the art of the con and misdirection. We believe it to be one thing, but
it turns out to be something else. And having
put out more than a handful of films that have
been seen by many-an-audience, the natural
tendency is for moviegoers to tell their friends
about the impending surprise. Everyone likes a
good surprise.

I suppose the real surprise, though, is the
lukewarm reception the film has been receiving.
This certainly isn't a bad film. In fact, I
found myself enjoying the story as it unfolded.
And yes, there are surprises that do arise in
"The Lady in the Water". It doesn't blindside us
the way it did in "The Sixth Sense". Yet is a
story of gradual revelations that keeps us
engaged.

We are told that this film is derived from a
bedtime story that Shylaman has been working on
and refining for quite some time. I applaud him
for trying to meld children's tales into the
adult world. It's scary sometimes how grown-ups
have lost their sense of imagination. It is that
kind of suspension of disbelief that will allow
you to enjoy these kinds of films. The moment
you try to dissect "The Lady in the Water" with scientific explanation, that'll be the moment
that you'll be eaten by a Scrunt.

What's a Scrunt? They are predatory, wolf-like creatures and they are specifically looking to
kill Narfs. Ok, so what is a Narf? These
questions may never cease. The film's story
seems to have its roots in mythology. Yet, I'm
not trained in mythology, so I just view this as
a film about a lost girl (Bryce Dallas Howard)
who needs rescuing.

And only a beleaguered superintendent has the
power to help her. That would be the frumpy
Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti) who takes care of
a run-down hi-rise in which he and dozens of
others live. There's a tender back-story to our weathered hero. As he will come to learn, every person has a purpose. And finding his will bring
him back a sense of self-esteem which has faded
over the years.

Figuring out everyone else's purpose is the
difficult part. Some roles are clear, such as
the cantankerous Asian woman who recalls stories,
told to her by her mother, which could decipher
the mythical world of Scrunts and Narfs. And
then, some roles aren't. To be able to rescue
her, Heep needs to also find a healer, a
guardian, guildsmen, and more. It's an enigmatic puzzle. Heep and the inhabitants of the
apartment building are learning as they go along.
Because they have no point of reference or
previous experience in these matters, it's
impossible to believe that he'll decipher what to
do on the first try. Hence, there are so many
red herrings. Without context, the film has opportunities to cheat a little, and thus, the
'aha' moments seem too convenient if not
arbitrary. Case in point (without really
spoiling anything), I know that some diviners can
read tea leaves and some can read tarot cards.
Here, someone is reading the nutritional panel of cereal boxes.

The director evokes stories out of moods. Like
his others, this is somber and tense and
touching. Perhaps "The Lady in the Water" is
merely a story about people that need to believe
in something magical. Maybe it's something more mundane and that they are just at an intersection between our realm and the realm of imagination. Regardless, it's a raw-but-nicely-conceived fairy
tale for ordinary people both on the screen and
in the theatre seat.

Grade: B

S: 0 out of 3
L: 0 out of 3
V: 1 out of 3

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