Movie Reviews

Written, Directed, and Produced by M. Night Shyamalan

Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti) is a stuttering apartment superintendent who goes about his daily routine of answering to his tenant's needs when a mystical woman named Story (Bryce Dallas Howard) enters into his life unexpectedly. She is from the Blue World; a place that humankind has forgotten. As the events unfold and the woman's secrets are revealed, Cleveland Heep learns about himself and about the lives of those around him more than he could have ever imagined. Despite these glints of hope, a supernatural wolf-like creature continuously tries to stop this union of knowledge from happening.

This basic synopsis for Lady in the Water is only a glimpse into the unique details of the film; however, similar to other M. Night Shyamalan films like The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, Lady in the Water attempts to achieve the same type of suspenseful impact that movie-goers would find in these other flicks. The basic formula is as follows: the main character doesn't know his purpose, he struggles with a cryptic conflict, and BAM the audience is shocked by unpredictable elements! I'm not bashing this formula; after all, it works and keeps the audience interested. But Lady in the Water still has no elements that stand out prominently beyond M. Night Shyamalan's other films. There are, however, a few notable underlying themes about how man has lost touch with nature and how man is due for an awakening.

Lady in the Water is at least worth renting when it makes it to DVD. The other M. Night Shyamalan films are worth checking out as well.