Lady in the Water

Lady in the Water by M Night Shyamalan was listed by Variety as one of the ten "biggest (financial) losers" of 2006. It was criticized and many thought it was Shyamalan’s self indulgence, his unique style of unveiling the essence of the film in the end, grossly missing from this one.

Cinema as an art form is self indulgence, a completely made up world of fantasy and childish wonder. Some concepts are convincing enough, others fail to connect, but they are brilliant ideas none the less. A film affects and influences people in numerous ways. Maybe that is the beauty of cinema.

If one were to take away the whimsical layer of fantasy, the underlying essence of the film is about change and the unseen connectedness between people. Every living being has a purpose, though one does not realize it. Story who is a narf (a nymph or a water faerie) is played by Bryce Dallas Howard says “Man thinks they are each alone in this world. It is not true. You are all connected. One act can one day affect all.” The prologue of film is done very tastefully, but maybe giving away the plot from the very beginning was the reason why the film did not appeal to the audiences. But it has to be seen for the message and the animation. See it here.

Personally, it was a feel good movie which always brings a happy tear in the end. Definitely worth a watch.