Lady in the Water

You have to give M. Night Shyamalan credit for daring to be different. His seventh film mimics the creepy atmosphere of his previous efforts, but on a narrative level it's entirely sui generis, a weird modern fairy tale about a mermaid-like creature called a Narf who surfaces in an apartment swimming pool with the aim of ending centuries of disconnect between her Blue World and the human realm through sharing a message with a “chosen one” who will help end discord among men. The apartment super (Paul Giamatti) must not only aid her in finding the “one” among his tenants, but also assemble a crew—a guardian, a symbolist, a healer, etc.—that will help the Narf fulfill her mission while also protecting her from evil wolf-like beings called Scrunts determined to prevent her return to the Blue World (also involved are monkey-like critters called Tartutic that apparently maintain order between Narfs and Scrunts). If this all sounds loony, well…it is: the script began as a bedtime story concocted for Shyamalan's children, and has the rambling, off-the-cuff character typical of such tales (there's a beginning and end, but everything that happens in between has a thoroughly random feel). Obviously, the director was trying for mythic enchantment, but he fails to pull it off, and the story simply collapses from silliness. Not recommended. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include a six-part 35-minute “Reflections” making-of documentary, a “Lady in the Water: A Bedtime Story” featurette on director Shyamalan's related children's book (5 min.), five minutes of deleted scenes, a three-minute gag reel, two minutes of cast auditions, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (F. Swietek)