Ah... nothin' like bein' alone at the end of the cage match. Maybe I'm the only critic who likes this film but it wouldn't be the first time I've parted company with my colleagues over the efforts of M. Night Shyamalan. Lady in the Water is a warts and all experience that has the power to change and, I believe, clarify our perception of how and why film is such an important part of our lives.
The best review of Lady in the Water must extend beyond the frailties of M. Night Shyamalan as a writer, perhaps even as a director, unless one is willing to dismiss his massive audience as a bunch of easily pleased rubes which I am not willing to do. And if you are then SHAME ON YOU! People are indeed sheep, and sheep are indeed dumb, but as a sheep myself I’ll point out that not all sheep are equally dumb. All of this is beside an important point. Shyamalan demonstrates an uncanny knack for subverting storytelling form in a way that the average person connects strongly with – high school creative writing class never had a better friend than this director who has systematically attacked the fairytale, the comic book, Christian based horror fiction and the classic ghost story. And he is a director who seems to actually care about the end product, the story. He’s not just milking a device for bucks. If anything Lady in the Water is proof of that.
Whatever it’s weaknesses (and this film will in no way win Shyamalan new fans) one has the idea of Lady in the Water being a more personal film than his previous efforts even if, paradoxically, it comes across as slightly less emotionally resonant. Instead it reads like a movie that picks apart Night himself, the creative process by which he comes up with ideas, writes them and films them. It is clunky, less graceful than a movie starring Bryce Dallas Howard as an otherworldly water sprite should be, and yet it is compelling - asking us to compare that process a filmmaker goes through in telling a story with the process we go through in telling our own. And it encourages us to find value in even the meanest parts of it.
Of course we only perceive the elements of the story of our lives and are mostly unable to see them as a whole. Various grids and isms only point us in the direction of general meaning, they never give us a complete view through the eye of the Storyteller. And that is precisely what works and what doesn’t work about Shyamalan’s latest. Lady in the Water features the director in a major role. Though known for doing cameos he is not known for being a very good actor and he has ingeniously written a role for himself that is as close to the real “him” as he can probably get without doing a biopic. And clearly he wants us, the audience, to connect with his process and to the hope any creative person has that their work has meant something. But Lady in the Water falls just short of that goal coming across as an amusing fairytale set in modern day that’s just a little too abstract to involve us. This is not Shyamaln’s best film but it is far from a failure. Don’t let the critics steal your chance for reflection on the themes and ideas present here nor rob you of the film’s considerable entertainment value.
Cleveland Heep is a building superintendent who finds Story, a pale mysterious young woman in the communal pool. Rescuing her he discovers she comes from another world to awaken the human race towards much needed change and that there are vicious creatures desperate to prevent that awakening and her return. Banding together with a group of oddball tenants Heep discovers the power of Story, confession, and faith.
While marketed as another Shyamalan thriller this Lady in the Water bears much more resemblance to movies like Cocoon or Batteries Not Included, revealing itself to be a gentle drama/comedy with fantasy elements. Paul Giamatti is a godsend here bringing the lonely building superintendent Cleveland Heep to life without descending into mere pathos. His character sees himself as a tragic sad sack and though Shymalan doesn’t write him deep enough it’s easy to see enough of Heep in ourselves to know that he’s far more.
When he discovers the only way to hear the rest of a old legend is to appease an old lady’s need to see him as a child Heep arranges himself on her sofa in a wide eyed series of pillow fluffing expectation filled movements that only Giamatti could pull off. When chased by a shadowy horror and discovered by a cynical tenant face down on the pavement Giamatti makes the most of the unseen pratfall's outcome and left the audience I was with in stitches.
The rest of the cast are fine in roles that never quite seem to do more than serve the screenplay. But the screenplay is so clearly a labor of love that I can’t help but want to see this film again and add it to my collection of Shymalan’s fine efforts. He’s one of the most interesting filmmakers working today. Hated The Village? How about trying to see beyond the twist ending to the real horror of that story - the sacrificing of humanity for the sake of society? Bored by Unbreakable? I say rarely has a superhero film ever seemed as human and urgent. Jaded by The Sixth Sense? Where are you on your own journey towards transcendence?
Shymalan’s point is that story can change us if we let it. We are constructed to be inspired by it, to be found and to surrender to the truths it contains, to spread that truth so that all may share in it. It’s a high goal, and one that doesn’t entirely work here. But it makes Lady in the Water the most interesting film I’ve seen this summer.
Though I think his decision to put himself in his movies in an increasing volume screen time wise detracts from his films because they lack subtlety, I've never disliked his films because of that. The Village is the only film of his I've disliked (The Sixth Sense & Unbreakable are brilliant while Signs is good). Besides, there is a precedent for this. Greats like Scorcese and Truffaut among others have cast themeselves in their films.
Give the guy a break, it's not like he can't act. Direction is all about ego, it's a requirement, and most filmmakers want to be on screen but either can't do it or won't. The man casts his films well so I'm not going to question his decision to place himself in his worlds. Hell Tarantino was seriously considering casting himself as Pai Mei in Kill Bill but decided against it. Imagine that.
I say commenting on his performance in "Lady" without even seeing it is foolish and comes from a place of hate, not analysis.
"most filmmakers want to be on screen, but either can't do it or won't."
Wow, thanks for the insight! Care to qualify that statement? Or did you, as Shyamalan did with this movie, just pull that faux-insightful nugget straight out of your ass? Everyone knows that Tarantino wanted to be an actor long before he wanted to be a director, and filmmakers of the caliber of Scorsese and Hitchcock set no precedent for the type of arrogance Shyamalan displays here. Like Robert Rodriguez, who hoisted the dreck of "shark boy and lava girl" upon the world, Night should have known better than to think the world wants to hear what he thinks entertains his offspring.
"most filmmakers want to be on screen, but either can't do it or won't."
Wow, thanks for the insight! Care to qualify that statement? Or did you, as Shyamalan did with this movie, just pull that faux-insightful nugget straight out of your ass? Tarantino wanted to be an actor long before he wanted to be a director, and filmmakers of the caliber of Scorsese and Hitchcock set no precedent for the type of arrogance Shyamalan displays here. Like Robert Rodriguez, who hoisted the dreck of "shark boy and lava girl" upon the world, Night should have known better than to think the world wants to hear what he thinks entertains his offspring.
I saw it and loved it, although I'd be a little hard pressed to really articulate why I was so gripped by it without a couple days of reflection.
Great anatomy lesson here! Kudos to MR Smith for being Chode himself. He hates M. Night Shyamalan but he keeps watching his films.I wanted to lol but he probably twelve!
I just saw it and I loved it as well.
Most of my movie interests these days are far from mainstream, and as a result I've become isolated from most of my film going friends. While everyone is discussing Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, I'm eagerly awaiting Kim Ki-duk's Time.
Lady in the Water is an exception, and in some ways I dread the discussions to come because I'm often pressured to justify my appreciation of M. Night Shyamalan's movies. To a lesser extent this is also the case with George Lucas and the prequel trilogy. I'm waiting for detractors to start accusing Night of raping their childhood.
I was lucky enough to see Praying with Anger before The Sixth Sense. I'm not sure what impression that made, but Night was on my radar long before he was The Next Steven Spielberg, and I've since read most of his screenplays. The reason I'm mentioning this is because I clearly have a bias.
This bias followed me into an empty theater to watch Lady in the Water. I didn't read any reviews, but I was aware of what critics were saying. As an atheist and a skeptic, I don't care for the pseudo-religious stuff that Night likes to imbue his movies with, so I'm not uncritical, but I do like to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I think Night was quoted as saying that Lady in the Water is a dangerous movie, which had me a little worried. Taking this into consideration, I expected to be conflicted, but I'm surprised to be sitting here with the conviction that Lady in the Water is Night's best movie. Shocking, I know, and I wish I could explain how I came to such a conclusion, but the movie hasn't let go of my brain just yet, so everything's a bit foggy, but I bet it has something to do with the fact that it's probably Night's most personal movie.
I also think that Night is a competent actor. I used to be distracted by directors casting themselves in their movies, but after watching many independent movies, I'm used to it. I'd actually like to see directors act in their movies more often.
Jonathan Simmons referred to "Lady" as Shyamalan's "most personal movie," and that's exactly my own response to the film. I found amazing parallels between "Lady" (which 90% of critics out there hated) and "6th Sense" (which an equal number loved). In both films, a youngster is cast as the "chosen one," whose sad and dangerous job it is to connect with the human race in a way the rest of us cannot. Both Howard's Narf and Osment's boy-who-sees-dead-people are young characters who have a hard time seeing themselves as "chosen ones," but that's who they are. Story actually says, "I'm not special. I'm awkard. They make fun of me. I don't know how to lead." Osment's little boy is equally awkard, and he's picked on by his classmates and labeled "the freak." In both films, a broken, damaged man must help the "chosen one" make contact with the human race—and both men are saved themselves through their efforts to help.
The fact that so many critics fell over themselves praising "6th Sense," while they dismissed "Lady" as "silly and ridiculous" says more about how we see our own mythology. We can far more easily accept the appearance of dead people standing in our bedrooms (or even aliens in our cornfields) than we can Narfs in our swimming pools. It's almost as if Shyamalan was working up to his message gradually—he started with dead people, moved on to aliens, and now he things we're ready for the real thing. His message has been the same since the beginning—human beings have lost touch with the childlike and innocent side of themselves, the side that understands what's really important and valuable. Instead, we've become materialistic opportunists who spend more time bombing each other than we do listening. He wants us to believe that bedtime stories like the one in "Lady" have something to tell us.
This movie will not be a success, but it DOES have the potential to get people talking about things that aren't often discussed (like the meaning of life, and whether there is a purpose to the day-to-day living we're all doing). And I agree with Canfield: "It's the most interesting film I've seen this summer."
"Lady" (which 90% of critics out there hated) and "6th Sense" (which an equal number loved)
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Maybe the critics have figured out that this guy's an idiot. One Trick Pony has more creativity then this conceited numskull.
I can't believe all these idiots on this board who's just as conceited as this moron is in treating this crap as some sort of an art film.
Wake up!
Wow what a bunch of tired, boring juvinile crap!!!! I was interested in hearing what a few random adults thought of the newest released product of a respected artist, and instead I had to sift through an eyesore of whining bickering little snot nosed egos. (Exclude yourselves if you actually had something intelligent to contribute) The rest of you should get a life or pay someone for a handjob. I have a great respect for people like Shyamalan who can play on an individual's knack at creating false hope and in turn disappointing only themselves. M. Knight's work is sadly compared to that of others and forcibly catagorized, and shouldn't be. It is frustrating for those who are conceited enough to feel that their opinions matter more (or set some sort of standard for the larger society), to not be able to place Shyamalan into any particular genre or stay ahead of his game. This is art, what we see in his work, because it is not a surface- level feeling that is conveyed, instead it provides all of the elements of REAL feelings, even some that a lot of people refuse to identify with in their daily lives. He's not that bad of an actor BTW and damn good-looking. I'm sure I am not the only person that feels that way...AND I did like The Village...HA!!!!!
"I'm a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association. Are you a professional critic?
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You're a pro alright, a professional fairy lover.
Yeah, you know what I'm talking about pinky.
MR Smith, you're over the line. You want to engage in conversation or challenge and opinion, that's fine. You want to descend into personal insults that's not. Do it again and watch all your comments here disappear in a wiff of smoke.
It would appear there's a mouth-breather convention in progress.
As for LITW, I haven't seen the film yet but I've enjoyed Night's films. I really appreciate your review Canfield. Keep up the great work.
ps:
Now that I'm here, I actually enjoyed watching "Lady in the Water", at least far more than I expected given the reviews from many people whose tastes I trust. I certainly empathise with what so many reviewers found crude and distasteful (hoo boy), but I didn't have anywhere near as violent a reaction as they did.
I don't know if it'll last, but I felt content when I left the cinema, though that might have a lot to do with Christopher Doyle's contribution.
I also don't know if people who are unfamiliar with Shyamalan's face would be as distracted by his performance as I sometimes was.
Let's just it call it "crap", I just wasted almost 2 hours of my life. I'm sure god is really pissed off too.
I am not sure if I liked it on a purely superfincial entertainment level, but it did spark my curiousity as to the meanings he might be conveying. And of course there were many.
The fact that the girls name was Story, I think was a crutch for all those people out there that thought Huckleberry Finn was just about a couple of guys on a raft, and Moby Dick was just about a pissed off guy and a whale. Its sad that even with the crutch so many will still only see a simple fairytale movie with a simplistic storyline.
Like many great artists often when they do something that seems to stray from their known style they are viewed by a majority of their most devoted fans, with ill will and even anger. Often the admirers feel betrayed that that what they came to love and comfortably depend upon receiving has gone missing. But they are at fault, and are actually selfishly wanting to confine the creativity of one so gifted, only in hopes of satisfying their preconceived expectations.
The world is a better place with Shyamalan, and his movies, the same can not be said for many other people in this day.
As a lover of stories and part Navajo, I found 'Lady' to be a great film. I loved the way the director used everyday persons and common objects like cereal boxes to relate a story that resides in all our hearts: That we are all connected and that everything is significant. Even the strange among us like the one sided strong man in his story have a profound roll in the battle of good and evil and enlightenment. I watched this DVD with my family just before Christmas and found so many parallels with our Savior. The way of my people have long faded into history, but I have found a friend in Shyamalan. And if you read this Mr. S. You have an open invitation to my home. Thank you for your courage and insight. Keep writing and making films. We need your stories to remind us who we are. Wolf
Why are people disliking the movie sound like a whiney ignoramus? Attacking Mr. S and the people who love his films with vulgar unnecessary words.
I personally am not a pro critic nor a man who delves himself in reviews and inner workings of movies. When I watched Lady in the Water, I didnt even knew Mr. S and his early works. I was not expecting anything from the movie aside from being it intriguing and sort of interesting from what I have seen from the trailer.
To my surprise and delight, it wasn't much of a cliche suspense movie but something more. I was caught up in the movie not because there is some specific thing that I really liked but because it was very refreshing to watch. It might be more adept to being a suspense movie but watching it involves also drama and a hint of comedy. I also liked it because somehow I knew that behind that seemingly weird story of the movie, there was something deep about it but I never really understood that hidden meaning and I never really went on to think about it. The movie and I parted ways that way. I appreciated it only because I knew it had something more to it without knowing what that something was.
Then I read this comment on imdb (i dont remember why I went there) and it explained the deeper meaning of the movie. It got me thinking of how much thinking and preparation was put into it. For me, It was really an intelligent film. It was difficult to understand at first but when you break the barrier of shallowness it becomes beautiful.
I may not know what Mr. S character is, may he be a egotistical person or a mere artistic purist misunderstood by many, but I still liked Lady in the Water for what it was, without the knowledge of anything besides the 2hrs of the movie. It made me feel, think, and be more imaginative, creative, and reflective. Now if you dont get what I mean you may probably be cursing at me just like everybody that commented above hating it.
I am a no one, just sharing my experience with the movie.
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