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Lady in the Water
Jul. 22nd, 2006 01:40 amSo I just got back from Lady in the Water...
And you know what? I liked it. I haven't heard one good review for it but I liked it. My exposure to its reviews has mostly been limited to the headline and/or star count because I knew I was going to see it anyway and didn't want any preconceptions. And, having seen it, that turned out to be very important. You need to leave your cynicism and preconceptions at the door. If you go in there expecting a typical Shyamalan movie you'll be disappointed. If you expect to be freaked out or have your mind gutted, you will be disappointed. If you're expecting a twist to come out of left field towards the end, you will be disappointed. If you expect a deep philosophical exploration of the state of the world and its problems (as the intro might lead some to believe) you will be disappointed. It is a simple story. Well, okay, in some ways it's quite complicated – there's a lot of background information and characters to keep track of – but the story itself is straightforward enough, well-presented, well-written, well-acted, well-paced, and entertaining. There's a part where the main character has to sort of 'become' a child in order to learn some crucial information and that's what you have to do to enjoy this movie. Just sit back and let it take you along, don't try to fight it. And don't be afraid to laugh. If there's a part that strikes you as funny, then laugh; it's probably supposed to be funny. There are lots of funny parts, including times when the movie appears to be laughing at itself. I think that may be part of why people didn't like it – because they were laughing when they thought they shouldn't be laughing. Go ahead and laugh, don't feel guilty.
( Specifics, but not Spoilers )
Special note must be given to the bumper crop of trailers that accompanied the movie. We're into the season where you get trailers for the more serious winter movies, and this year looks like it might just make up for a lacklustre summer.
( If you're curious... )
And you know what? I liked it. I haven't heard one good review for it but I liked it. My exposure to its reviews has mostly been limited to the headline and/or star count because I knew I was going to see it anyway and didn't want any preconceptions. And, having seen it, that turned out to be very important. You need to leave your cynicism and preconceptions at the door. If you go in there expecting a typical Shyamalan movie you'll be disappointed. If you expect to be freaked out or have your mind gutted, you will be disappointed. If you're expecting a twist to come out of left field towards the end, you will be disappointed. If you expect a deep philosophical exploration of the state of the world and its problems (as the intro might lead some to believe) you will be disappointed. It is a simple story. Well, okay, in some ways it's quite complicated – there's a lot of background information and characters to keep track of – but the story itself is straightforward enough, well-presented, well-written, well-acted, well-paced, and entertaining. There's a part where the main character has to sort of 'become' a child in order to learn some crucial information and that's what you have to do to enjoy this movie. Just sit back and let it take you along, don't try to fight it. And don't be afraid to laugh. If there's a part that strikes you as funny, then laugh; it's probably supposed to be funny. There are lots of funny parts, including times when the movie appears to be laughing at itself. I think that may be part of why people didn't like it – because they were laughing when they thought they shouldn't be laughing. Go ahead and laugh, don't feel guilty.
( Specifics, but not Spoilers )
Special note must be given to the bumper crop of trailers that accompanied the movie. We're into the season where you get trailers for the more serious winter movies, and this year looks like it might just make up for a lacklustre summer.
( If you're curious... )
