Review:Lady In The Water

Lovin' this water nymph

Lady In The Water
*****
Dir: M Night Shyamalan
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard
Sandipan Dalal
sandipan.dalal@mid-day.com

Plot: Of narfs (a sea nymph), scrunts (wolf-like creatures hungry for narfs), Tartutics (monkey-like creatures that live in trees), Great Eagle and the Blue World. Think I'm rattling off characters from a fairy tale? Well, that's what binds Night Shyamalan's latest paranormal venture that unfolds in a suburban Philadelphia apartment complex. When building supervisor Cleveland Heap (Giamatti) racks his head over what's blocking the swimming pool filter, little does he know that he has to mastermind the rescue of a pale narf (Howard). He has only a bedtime tale to fall back on, courtesy a Korean mother-daughter duo. The tension gradually spreads to the other inmates and soon a guardian, a symbolist, a guild and a healer come to our narf's rescue.
Acting: The awards season might just add to Paul Giamatti's delight. His portrayal of a bespectacled, haunted apartment caretaker takes the cake. A typical Night Shyamalan character, his sordid past has only taught him to be more caring. Be it the scene where he puts Story (Howard) to sleep or heals her with his energies, Giamatti knows how to do it. Howard's the damsel in distress here. She springs her character to life by her subtle portrayal of a scared nymph craving for water droplets. But it amazes me as to how she acquaints herself with the ways of the human world. Probably she must have been silently observing them from the pool waters. Shyamalan also has his fair share of scenes as an amateur writer who pursues Story for his own selfish motives.
What's hot: Shyamalan makes his own rules. Instead of wasting time on establishing the context and the characters, he rushes the story. You've got to keep your eyes and ears open right from frame one, where he arms the viewers with sketchy mythic lore. The story is original and he even executes the rapturous but predictable climax with ease. What backs him up in this quest is a brilliant cast and cinematographer Christopher Doyle.
What's not: Shyamalan has put too many characters in the plot that only dilutes the narrative of the film. Exploiting Story — the narf — as an astrologer could have been avoided. Also, his attempts at evoking humour with the loud Korean mother and daughter, and Giamatti's baby-like milk drinking ways goes haywire.
Bottomline: Shyamalan doesn't disappoint this time.