Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Lady in the Water’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

There is an unspoken rule in writing, in that, every scribe out there should find a way to inject something supremely personal into whatever piece they are working on. Because having something personal present within the framework of the story adds depth, and it makes it special for the writer. But the true beauty of this part of the craft, is that few ever know exactly where those personal moments are placed, at least, not until the author fesses up. But while it is cool to know that an important slice of someone’s life has been immortalized within any particular tale, there is a careful line when it comes to this aspect of storytelling that the writer must be mindful not to cross.
 
Because if a scribe decides to add too much of themselves into a tale, it now risks transforming into something the audience might not want to watch to read. For now, a story that was designed to provide an escape or make us think, has transformed into an autobiography, and usually an awkward one at that. And everything the writer wanted to accomplish storytelling wise, is undermined by a narrative that is self-indulgent and egotistical in nature. If anything, making the story about one’s self and trying to disguise it as something fictional is the worst thing a writer can do, and sadly the worst-case scenario is precisely what came to fruition in M. Night Shyamalan’s next film, Lady in the Water.
 
Because for some strange reason, this often-controversial director, straight up injected himself into the story as a writer whose words will eventually change all of mankind for the better and well, it doesn’t get much more egotistical than that. Because it speaks to a writer that was believing his own hype at the time and it immediately removes the audience from what Shyamalan is trying to do here storytelling wise and that’s a downright shame. For this is a story that actually did have a lot of potential when all is said and done. Because you cannot go wrong with a beautiful and original fable that is designed to speak to mankind’s untapped potential.
 
But alas, that weird decision and some odd writing choices only add to the strange and sloppy nature of this film. For the fairy tale world that Shyamalan has assembled here is hastily constructed, complete with plot holes and questions about the beings that show up here and really, the ego-trip and the overall messy script, waste a talented cast. Because Paul Giamatti turns in an earnest performance here, and he’s joined by a stellar Bryce Dallas Howard and so many others. But good acting simply cannot overcome the mistakes made here with the script, and by the time we’ve reached the third act, the performances are forgotten and we’re merely waiting for this slop to come to a merciful end.
 
But what’s truly fascinating about this motion picture, is the sheer fact that it shouldn’t be this awful. Because up to this point, M. Night had proven time and time again that he was capable of writing a solid story, and while he struggled to stick the landing, there were always other elements to celebrate. Which leaves one to wonder if all the heat he took for the ending of The Village, and for relying upon twist endings too often, finally got to Mr. Shyamalan. Because this movie just feels like an incomplete idea, one that was rushed out to prove one’s worth and to strike while the iron was hot and sadly, the critical panning this film received seemingly helped to encourage further struggles from N. Night, since his next film also featured some dubious storytelling choices.

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