Lady in the Water
Shyamalan needs to spend more time watching Hitchcock.
DMR gives it B. 
Lady in the Water, M. Night Shyamalan’s latest effort is a fable brought to film. I figured that much out. But after watching the movie and thinking about it, I have no idea what the lesson might be.
It could be about the power of one person to redeem others, like Christian teachings about Jesus. It might be about the need for greater community in an increasingly pluralistic and crowded world. It might just be about a grudge Shyamalan obviously has with movie critics. (In the interest of full disclosure, I liked his movies The Sixth Sense and Signs a lot and I admired The Village and Unbreakable.)
It’s a fable because the plot elements are so incredible and yet the characters take them at face value, like in a movie musical when the characters break into song and no one seems surprised when there’s a full symphony backing them up.
OK, so it’s a fable. “Should I see it,” you’re asking? Well, the movie is scrupulously clean: there’s no swear words, no sex, and while violence is implied, it’s not depicted. The Lady in the Water comes to dry land naked, but she’s always shown with a shirt or towel on. Your average Wal-Mart circular is more titillating. The Lady in the Water rated PG-13 for “some frightening sequences.” But frankly it could easily be rated PG.
The performances are fine. Bryce Dallas Howard has a one-note part as the title character. Most of the heavy lifting in the acting department comes from Paul Giamatti, who’s very good. His performance reminded me a great deal of Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Shyamalan, who appears in his movies ala Alfred Hitchcock, takes his largest role to date. He, too, does fine.
But for me the movie was missing something. It certainly didn’t have Shyamalan’s trademark 'gotcha' surprise. Lady in the Water has atmospherics, but I never found it scary or even eerie. Considering how confused I am by the film, it could certainly have been more approachable.
The movie all takes place in one apartment building, much like Hitchcock’s masterful Rear Window. Shyamalan copies a couple of Hitchcock’s establishing shots, but he isn’t able to duplicate the tension of Rear Window. Much to my chagrin, there’s no one like Grace Kelly in Lady in the Water, either.
I think Shyamalon strives to be like Alfred Hitchcock and I’ll happily cheer him on. Who made better scary, non-gory, more accessible movies than Hitchcock? But before we can mention them in the same breath, Shyamalan needs to head back to screening room to watch some more Hitch.
Lady in the Water is rated PG-13.
I give it a grade of B.
The Dollar Movie Review Grading System: The Dollar Movie Review grades on a curve. Movies that make choices to be course or vulgar are downgraded a full to a half grade or more. Likewise, movies that don’t gross out or offend too much can be upgraded as ‘a thanks for trying’ attaboy. Lady in the Water received that bonus in my review. Without it, I would have rated it as a C+.
It could be about the power of one person to redeem others, like Christian teachings about Jesus. It might be about the need for greater community in an increasingly pluralistic and crowded world. It might just be about a grudge Shyamalan obviously has with movie critics. (In the interest of full disclosure, I liked his movies The Sixth Sense and Signs a lot and I admired The Village and Unbreakable.)
It’s a fable because the plot elements are so incredible and yet the characters take them at face value, like in a movie musical when the characters break into song and no one seems surprised when there’s a full symphony backing them up.
OK, so it’s a fable. “Should I see it,” you’re asking? Well, the movie is scrupulously clean: there’s no swear words, no sex, and while violence is implied, it’s not depicted. The Lady in the Water comes to dry land naked, but she’s always shown with a shirt or towel on. Your average Wal-Mart circular is more titillating. The Lady in the Water rated PG-13 for “some frightening sequences.” But frankly it could easily be rated PG.
The performances are fine. Bryce Dallas Howard has a one-note part as the title character. Most of the heavy lifting in the acting department comes from Paul Giamatti, who’s very good. His performance reminded me a great deal of Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Shyamalan, who appears in his movies ala Alfred Hitchcock, takes his largest role to date. He, too, does fine.
But for me the movie was missing something. It certainly didn’t have Shyamalan’s trademark 'gotcha' surprise. Lady in the Water has atmospherics, but I never found it scary or even eerie. Considering how confused I am by the film, it could certainly have been more approachable.
The movie all takes place in one apartment building, much like Hitchcock’s masterful Rear Window. Shyamalan copies a couple of Hitchcock’s establishing shots, but he isn’t able to duplicate the tension of Rear Window. Much to my chagrin, there’s no one like Grace Kelly in Lady in the Water, either.
I think Shyamalon strives to be like Alfred Hitchcock and I’ll happily cheer him on. Who made better scary, non-gory, more accessible movies than Hitchcock? But before we can mention them in the same breath, Shyamalan needs to head back to screening room to watch some more Hitch.
Lady in the Water is rated PG-13.
I give it a grade of B.
The Dollar Movie Review Grading System: The Dollar Movie Review grades on a curve. Movies that make choices to be course or vulgar are downgraded a full to a half grade or more. Likewise, movies that don’t gross out or offend too much can be upgraded as ‘a thanks for trying’ attaboy. Lady in the Water received that bonus in my review. Without it, I would have rated it as a C+.
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