M.
I don't usually do a post just about a movie, but what the heck. It does seem to get a rise out of people as much as anything. I finally got around to watching Lady In the Water.
Now, I'm a huge fan of Mr. Shyamalan. As proof I offer the fact that I did not just now have to check the spelling of his name against imdb. Most of his films I saw in theaters shortly after they were released, but Lady didn't receive glowing reviews and there was some talk about M. having jumped some manner of aquatic predator. So it was just today I summoned the will to tear open the red envelope and pop in the disc. Oh. My. <insert deity of your choice>.
What is it that people didn't like about this movie? Non-rhetorical question, by the way. The comments link is right there; use it. In my opinion this is easily Shyamalan's second best film. In fact, here's the Fuller ranking for easy reference:
1. The Sixth Sense
2. Lady in the Water
3. The Village
4. Signs
5. Unbreakable
And Unbreakable is a great film. This guy doesn't miss. I list them like this to give you an idea of what I love about Shyamalan's work. Not just the spookiness, but the complexity, the morality and the creativity. I don't include his first two directorial efforts in the official MNS catalog, though I wouldn't mind seeing them. And Stuart Little...please.
But of the Freakish Five, Lady is the strongest and the most powerful other than "I See Dead People." Complex, touching, inventive, riveting. Centered squarely on a brilliant performance by Paul Giamatti (had to check) with delicious work by Bob Balaban, Freddy Rodriguez and Cindy Cheung on the side. Even M. himself isn't quite as atrociously wooden in this one. (Okay, I'm being nice. Stop giving yourself parts, man; Quentin makes you look bad.)
Lady In the Water is infused with such clever self-awareness, the kind of thing that movie watchers either love or love to hate. The concept of plot itself is a plot point. I'm sure that makes no sense unless you've seen it. In fact, the only knock against it of which I can conceive is that the twists are expectedly unexpected, that it belabors the point of surprising you. But that's kind of the point being made, that all these characters are in a story and have to find their way to the ending. By trying to make the surprise happen, they almost ruin it.
I'd better not say more. But come on people, see this movie. It deserves to be recognized as a great one.
posted by Josh Fuller @ 10:26 AM
12 comments
12 Comments:
Humf.... I do not like Shyamalan, I do not like him Sam I Am. I would not like him on a boat, I could not would not with a goat....
The only one of the listed films I have seen is Unbreakable, and although I think it's a decent movie, it creeps me out. I don't do creepy films. But Trip likes his films, so maybe I could give this one a try. I'll consider it.
If you don't do creepy films, don't do Shyamalan. You will never again apply the word 'creepy' to Unbreakable after you see any of the other four.
It was truly an absurd, putrid, joke of a flick (not "film"). I'm writing MENSA to have your membership revoked.
What it deserves is to be heckled a la MST3K.
Reminds me of Roger Ebert's review of North (which I happened to like quite a bit, thank you very much):
I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it.
I swear I'm done now.
That's fine...but I asked what it was that you didn't like about it. At least Ebert gave specifics when panning a movie that you liked.
I haven't the hours necessary...
i saw this movie at 30,000 feet somewhere over the atlantic ocean on a 7" screen with crappy headphones, so bear that in mind here. i wasn't impressed, but neither was i really disappointed. i had very high expectations though, because, like you, i love the shyama-man.
i won't say what i didn't like about it, because i didn't dislike it. it just didn't live up to my lofty hopes and dreams.
my favorite part was the guy who only worked out one side of his body. that was damn funny.
by the way, i'm a different brad than the other brad.
Thanks, Brads.
Yeah, that was hilarious. Freddy Rodriguez is one of my new favorites, mostly because of Six Feet Under. It's great to see him in such high profile films lately, like Bobby, and Grindhouse coming out soon.
I liked Lady in the Water, while the Honey did not.
I love fairy tales. I was riveted. What would the old lady say?
I was scared with the characters when things didn't go the way they wanted then to go.
I did know who the real reader was and to me, this movie felt like a thoroughly fleshed out life of a writer. (No, you don't go here, I see it all so clearly now. No wonder it never felt right!)
I loved Giamatti and even M. himself gave me a lump in the throat moment. I laughed when the critic was eaten, although I thought he was the storyteller. I was surprised by the change in roles, but I agree that the surprises almost took me out of the story because they almost came off as contrived.
I am going to join this conversation despite being a few months late. Like the Brads above, I quite like Shyamalan. But unlike yourself, I wouldn't rate a movie a good just based on creative direction and cinematography. So, based on M's previous work, this one didn't live up to my expectations as well even though it was supposed to be a 'Bedtime Story'.
Just for fun, if I was going to rank his five films you have listed above, I would go:
1. The Village
2. The Sixth Sense
3. Signs
4. Unbreakable
5. Lady in the Water
Even though this list is much different than yours, I was surprised to find that I generally agree with your ratings you posted July 2, 2007.
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