DVD Voice

The Lady in the Water, M. Night Shyamalan’s 8th film (I believe) is a very simple, delicately told tale (a bedtime story he told his daughters) of a lady who lives in the pool at an apartment complex and after having completed her “mission” needs to get back home and protect her from danger.

You know, I have yet to see any of M. Night Shyamalan’s films at the movie theater. Since his new one, Happenings, is out now I thought it might be good if I went ahead and saw his latest one from Netflix before I did. (Still not 100% if I’ll see it or wait for it to make it to DVD).

And that’s the rub. You know, every one of his films, with the exception of The Sixth Sense have been dissed as “not so good” or not required viewing to me by friends. Even the Sixth Sense was made fun of for certain reasons. I don’t understand why people think so poorly of his films. Especially this one. Because with any of his films, especially Signs, I find that if you find the central theme of the story, and take that message to heart and really ask yourself the question, then you’ll become a better person for it.

I’m not saying that you take your morals and ethics of life from the movies, but in his case, the question he asks of you through the movie is well worth looking at and thinking about.

So what’s The Lady in the Water about? It is entertainment. It’s entertaining. It’s well made. It will keep you with the story, the special effect monsters are rather cool. But as a movie, well, it almost doesn’t do it. It is almost something that half way through you wonder if there is something better you can be doing with your time. But if you stick in there, you’ll be very pleased.

Not trying to give away too much here, but Paul Giamati (Cindarella Man) is the super of the apartment and finds Bryce Dallas Howard (The Village) in his pool. Because of his past and the bad things that happen to him, he is essentially hiding from the world in the inferior job and knows quite a good bit about the other residents of the apartment building, and he sets out to help her complete her mission and get home safely.

The little message of the movie is that every being has a purpose. So as you finish watching the movie and you see how this applies to the characters in the movie, ask yourself - what is my purpose? What am I to do? What do I contribute?

That is quite the question, and as one of the characters in the movie mentions, that when you find your purpose you find your grace in life. It is also interesting to see that many of the characters you may characterize as being down on their luck. Some you see as being too young, or too old, or too eccentric or whatever. Also important is that you have to see beyond your first impressions, or misunderstanding or stereotyping of people and see some of their true value.

So … what is your purpose? What is it that you can do? Because as the movie indicates, and I believe too, you do have value and you should find it!

I have yet to see a M. Night Shyamalan movie that I’ve not enjoyed. The Village was disturbing for me because of my past, but was enjoyable. Loved Signs, and loved the Sixth Sense. If you haven’t seen any of his movies, I recommend you do. He isn’t quite our generations Alfred Hitchcock, but everything has a heart and is well worth your time.

Oh, and before I go. I loved the little bits about the film critic in this movie. Not that I want you to know what happens with the guy before you’ve seen it, but it is hilarious how wrong his assumptions are and jaded his opinions are. Rote. And gives me a little pause as I’ve just taken up being a film critic (essentially) on this blog. Hopefully I’ll not turn into this guy. If I start to, let me know, ok?