"Lady in the Water," by M. Night Shyamalan - review

From the Genius Types archive. Originally published December 27, 2006.

Lady in the Water is a movie about a lonely apartment caretaker (played by Paul Giamatti), with demons from his past, who finds a water nymph (think mermaid of Splash meets elf of Lord of the Rings) wandering out of the pool and into his apartment.

The fragile nymph (played by Bryce Dallas Howard) needs help. She must fulfill her purpose and then find her way home, but she only offers a few clues as to how he can help her accomplish these objectives.

The caretaker begins to piece together the puzzle with clues from the most unlikely places: the tenants in the apartment building. He puts together a team of willing, but ordinary neighbors to build and execute a plan to help her return home. The saga helps him to face his demons, and brings the group together.

Scalding Reviews

The film was absolutely blasted by critics, with some going so far as to question Shyamalan’s mental stability:

Lady in the Water marks M. Night Shyamalan’s official leap off the deep end. Not everyone agrees on Shyamalan’s talent as a filmmaker, but few, up till now, have questioned his sanity. -Dana Stevens, Slate

Hollywood cannot pollute the ozone with anything more idiotic, contrived, amateurish or sub-mental than Lady in the Water. -Rex Reed, New York Observer

Shyamalan’s most alienating and self-absorbed project to date. -Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

… Shyamalan tries here to take a storyteller’s approach to telling what should be a visual tale, thus violating one of the chief tenets of filmmaking: Show, don’t tell. -Kim Voynar, Cinematical

My Litmus Test

I tend to find that whether or not I like a movie has no reliable correlation to what critics think of it. As a general rule of thumb I wait until after I have seen the movie to read reviews so that my opinion is not persuaded by anything I might have read.

My litmus test for a movie is simple: Did it take me out of my current reality and into the film by capturing my attention and emotion from beginning to end? An intellectual payoff such as satire, philosophy, mystery, symbolism, ethics, or societal implication is a nice bonus; but not necessary to get my thumb up.

My Take

While I can see the point of view of Shyamalan’s critics, the flaws they pointed out were not deal-breakers for me. I was a little surprised at the beginning of the movie by the liberal use of exposition and lack of skepticism in any of the characters; but when I settled into the realization that it was a fairy tale, I was able to overcome these obstacles.

I enjoy Shyamalan’s suggestion of the supernatural in all of his works, told with very human stories. This, along with the superb performance of Paul Giamatti (who is fun to watch whatever he does) was enough for Lady in the Water to entertain me. While it isn’t my favorite movie of all time, I certainly didn’t hate it like most of the critics.

One thing I really did like about the movie was the unflinching sense of purpose that each character had upon accepting their role in helping with the plan. At first it seemed a little strange that no one was questioning what was being asked of them; but in the context of the fairy tale, I saw it as an illustration of each person finding their natural ability, no matter how simple, and choosing to use it for good.

None of the neighbors were extraordinary, but when they came together with their individual gifts and faith in their goal, they were able to do something extraordinary.

Follow Your Inner Genius

I like this idea since I believe that everyone has genius within, no matter how simple it may be. Many people brush aside the things they are good at and don’t see them as anything special. Since there are many types of genius, some people don’t realize they have it within themselves because they are different from other people.

To me, the movie was a reminder to follow your heart without question. Your genius will reveal itself through the things that you are passionate about. Don’t be embarrassed about your passions. Embrace them and they will take you wherever you want to go.