Lady in the water is not your usual summer flick but that doesn’t make it any less a good movie. It is a movie that conveys much more deeper philosophies and M. Night Shyamalan has bravely explored a lot of themes within the 110 minutes. However, Lady in the water might not appeal to those who look at the superficial surface of movies without going deeper into the storyline.

You need tons of guts and gumption to stitch a philosophical yet simple film like this in Hollywood. Only a great filmmaker can pull of something like this without making it boring and at the same time appealing to the mainstream audience. M. Night Shyamalan has proved his genius film making techniques once again. This calm and soothing film is an answer to all those who demand their films to be intelligent and worth thinking about. The script and the performance by the actors is remarkable. The entire crew of “Lady in the Water” can take pride in the fact that they have been part of something that is worthy and not in any run of the mill Hollywood flick. Shyamalan is one director who is excellent in thrillers and even does it in “Lady in the Water” with his usual panache. He has managed to add some thrill to the movie although it is not a thriller.

When you watch a refreshing movie like “Lady in the Water” you begin to reflect on your own life as the story develops. Right from sixth sense to signs and now Lady in the water, Shyamalan has again managed to establish a relationship with his audience. As the audience, we are not only able to feel for the characters .We are able to connect with them in a level that reminds us of our own lives. Our movie experience is brought to a whole new level.

Paul Giamatti has given a great performance as Cleveland Heep, the caretaker of “Cove” an apartment complex. It’s a breathtaking and brilliant performance as a doctor who has lost his family but who still continues to serve others. The movie begins like a visual bedtime story in a charming way. Stick figures give a kick start to the movie by revealing one of the themes of the movie that “man has forgotten to listen”. Man and the sea bound narfs had once a very close connection but man’s desire to “own everything” made him forget them. The narfs didn’t lose hope in man and continued to send their children to the world to awaken a few chosen people. After this scene every sensible movie buff will know that this is not your usual summer film.

The movie begins when Cleveland Heep finds an otherworld water nymp named Story (Bryce Dallas Howard) in the pool. Story is not your ordinary fantasy movie character. Story does not only add interest to the movie she makes us think about our own lives too. Bryce Dallas Howard has done a terrific portrayal as a quiet “madam narf”. Her body language and expressions are excellent. Story “awakens” one of the characters who is played by M.Night Shyamalan. His cookbook will one day be used by a great leader to change the world. The “awakening” might in fact be our own realization of our purpose in life. The film’s theme is about our undiscovered purposes in life. Such a deep theme might not be appealing to the masses who are only interested in the superficial elements of the film. The film develops with the introduction of the other characters who live in the “Cove”. The characters Yung Soon and her mother seem to provide comedy in the film. The stereotypical portrayal of a Chinese family is really funny.
The many characters in the film add variety to the story. I think this movie is very apt for the condition the world is in now. Man has truly forgotten to listen and there is war and destruction everywhere. After watching this movie, you will definetly stop and reflect on your own life and purpose.

A personal favorite character of mine would be the character of the film critic. I think M. Night Shyamalan had enough of those film critics who criticize his work when they cant event take something as great as his. The film critic talks as if he knows how each and every film is made in the world. The scene where he is killed is really funny because he assumes that he wont be killed because this is a family film. All the characters have depth and add meaning to the storyline. There are no unnecessary characters in the film. That’s what makes “Lady in the Water” such a special film. The story is mainly about how Cleverland helps Story to get back to the blueworld with the help of the many people living in his apartment. However, there are many deep philosophical underlying themes in the movie which make it such a classic film. The movie ends when everyone realizes their purpose in life and the giant eagle brings back Story to the blue world. The tartutic (big hairy monkeys) destroy the scrunt.

“Lady in the Water” is a story within a story. It is a really big and deep story that is told in a simple way almost like a bedtime story for kids. It is a story which goes inside the pages of a fantasy book, giving life to the mythical characters and the seemingly ancient allegories. People seem to forget that this movie could have very easily been a boring movie but not even one frame in Lady in the water is boring. M. Night Shyamalan’s unique way of storytelling is evident in this film. It takes courage to take such a different and inspiring storyline in Hollywood. It surely takes guts to take a movie like “Lady in the water” and hats off to the entire team of “Lady in the Water”. M. Night Shyamalan is proving that he is growing with every film. His distinctive and unique style of movie making is something definitely worth watching in the big screen. M. Night Shyamalan has showed that he is among the most promising avant garde directors of our time!

This review was written by Vani Nagamuthu. We can’t find her details right now. So if you want to contact her, start flipping through the yellow pages.