M. Night Breaks Formula in ‘Lady in the Water’

As the screen begins scrolling the credits for director M. Night Shyamalan's latest, "Lady in the Water," the audience returns to audible conversations and opinions. Among them a small group can be heard in the back section of the theater laughing, each enjoying one another's company as they take turns jabbing at all the film's flaws. And when an endearing dedication from the director appears, one of them spills out, "Oh look, how nice" in sarcasm. Why is this? Do we now watch movies simply for scrutiny's sake, having some convoluted desire to emphasize the blemish and disregard the beauty? If so, then "Lady in the Water" is in trouble because it has freckles of imperfection. But ignore a narrow mind, look at it as one complexion, and you'll also see its beauty-the story.

The plot involves the various and eclectic inhabitants of The Cove, a Philadelphia apartment complex cared for by superintendent Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti). Cleveland tries to live an ordinary life, but that's completely dismantled when he discovers a unique inhabitant, one that lives in the pool. This other-worldly creature turns out to be a mysterious young woman called Story (Bryce Davis Howard). Story is stuck in our world and as she tries to find a way home, the plot kicks off, and the lives of each tenant is affected.

And no more plot specifics can really be revealed, as that's the wonder of the story that Shyamalan weaves. It's about how every detail interacts with one another. And the director does an excellent job of pulling the audience around into believing these details than completely twisting those same beliefs. It's a shame that first impressions are so strongly ingrained into a movie-going crowd because if we've seen any of the director's last films we're naturally expecting that same formula. Yet, this movie shifts out of that "M. Night Shyamalan" standard; it's no longer about those something-jumps-into-the-frame frights followed by that big crescendo of a surprise ending. "Lady in the Water" is an achievement because it's about all the many little surprises that really create a continuous impact. This is a film that begs not to be categorized into a genre; it just wants to tell its story through any means necessary.

Shyamalan has gained a unique collection of tools and techniques from his previous works, and uses many of these tricks to unravel the mysterious in this film: There's the eerie cinematography, the honest humor, the purposeful character interaction, and the hidden supernatural, elements that all improve each other. For instance, the film does contain a good amount of suspense with the unknowns, and the contrast of suspense and humor gives the film a realistic dimension. The characters of The Cove are stereotypical at face-value, but they have a uniqueness to call their own: Each tenant is full of individual dialogue and unintentional awkwardness that is true to life, resultantly injecting a light-hearted and humorous spirit.

Yes, there are some bumps along the way. While Giamatti does a wonderful job in projecting the hopeful yet weakened spirit of Cleveland, some actions just aren't believable. Like Cleveland, all of the characters are illogical in fully accepting Story's origin so quickly. The collision of the natural and supernatural just makes no noise. But honestly, after getting a glimpse of a character like Reggie, the neighborly muscle builder, how can we take any of the illogical too seriously?

This is a movie that knows it's a movie. It takes time to scare us, make us laugh, and momentarily touch us. And that's what makes "Lady in the Water" shine-it doesn't try to hide its blemishes.

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