"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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