Lady in the Water (2006), written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is foremost a fairy tale. Specifically, it is a fairy tale about a fairy tale that turns out to be true, and it would be a mistake to approach this film in any other way. In fact, the film makes a pretty clear statement of how it is not to be approached, albeit in a somewhat overly heavy-handed way (embodied literally by a film critic). The film should not be approached as an adult who is brainwashed into believing that he or she can only perceive things as an adult. The film should not be approached as a scientist regarding a specimen nor as a literary critic manipulating a text. Instead, it should be approached as a child listening to a bedtime story, and anyone who is unwilling to relive this state of mind will probably be frustrated.
The film lives best in the moment. Pedantic analysis will neither elucidate nor entertain, but looking through the eyes of the characters, which can be done without effort, will bear abundant food for thought even as it serves many delicious moments of superlative acting and skillful directing.
It is not without its flaws (is anything?), but this movie thrilled me from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other. Paul Giamatti already won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2005, but if the Academy withholds the Award for Best Actor in 2006 from him, then it will be one more crime against good judgment in its very long list of oversights and bad calls. Perhaps it’s premature to predict that Giamatti will have turned in the best performance for an actor this early in the year, but I doubt it. Giamatti is one of the great ones.
- Writing: Good
- Directing: Great
- Acting: Superb
- Cinematography: Good
- Special Effects: Great
Overall Rating: Great