LADY IN THE WATER
RYAN: We’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, as big M. Night fans.
CAROLINE: I’d say we’ve been waiting for months to see this!
RYAN: And here it is – “Lady in the Water.”
CAROLINE: It has been seen by both you and me.
RYAN: At long last.
CAROLINE: Well, I enjoyed it up to a point. You?
RYAN: I must report that I’m the only American who liked this movie.
I didn’t love it, but I really, really enjoyed it.
CAROLINE: Well, apparently you didn’t just hear me say that I enjoyed
it too, so you’re not the one American, thank you very much. Here’s
the thing – Paul Giamatti is excellent. And M. Night himself was a
decent actor in this film. But I could definitely see why this movie
is getting bashed. There are a few scenes toward the end that I
almost could have laughed at, but I was kind of into it, so I didn’t.
RYAN: I agree. It’s definitely quirky and I understand why people who
aren’t young-at-heart are not enjoying it. However, my theory as to
why it’s been so bashed by the critics is that there’s a character in
the film who is a film critic and he is unlikable. And I think critics
took that personally as an attack by M. Night against them.
CAROLINE: Now you’re getting philosophical, aren’t you?
RYAN: I’m getting filmicly political.
CAROLINE: I see your point and I raise you this: M. Night: just
because you tell your kids a fun, fantasy story before they go to bed
and they really like it, doesn’t mean it has to be a movie.
RYAN: I agree, the story could have been better; sweeter. And the one thing
that disappointed me was that we always go to an M. Night movie and
expect a great twist, and this one had a very weak twist.
CAROLINE: There was actually no twist.
RYAN: No, there was a little one.
CAROLINE: But not in the traditional sense that we’ve come to know and love.
RYAN: Exactly. It wasn’t a twist to look forward to. And that disappointed me.
CAROLINE: I liked the way the film looked. It was shot very well, and
again, Paul Giamatti was great. But Bryce Dallas was weak.
RYAN: I think it was the role she played. I wanted her to be a
mermaid but she was just a narl.
CAROLINE: By the by, how come her character couldn’t speak with any
contractions? No contractions for her. It was all “is not” and
“cannot” and it was irritating.
RYAN: She’s proper.
CAROLINE: Whatever, I didn’t like it.
RYAN: She’s not ‘uman. And why did her hair unexplainably change from red to light blonde?
CAROLINE: No clue. Final thought?
RYAN: This movie has great entertainment value. It’s
beautifully shot and masterfully directed. The performances are good and it’s just the right length. And don’t go in expecting a big summer blockbuster and you
won’t be disappointed. Overall, it’s a fun, whimsical film.
CAROLINE: But if you’re not willing to suspend your disbelief for a
fairy tale, run, don’t walk away from the theater; because you will
laugh out loud at some of the ridiculous things that happen in this
movie.
RYAN: I gregariously agree.