GRADE: B

While there are certainly valid criticisms to be leveled against this “bedtime story,” as director M. Night Shyamalan has called it, there’s also a lot to enjoy, particularly when the whole thing is taken as metaphor and not an attempt at reality-based storytelling.

After all, the bedtime story itself is one of humankind’s oldest forms of mythology; tales and odysseys grounded in the here and now whose content is meant as representations of abstract themes and metaphysical realities that can only be hinted at through the use of symbolism and metaphor to express that which is beyond concrete words and pictures.

Such is the perspective that Shyamalan’s Lady in the Water benefits from most, allowing able viewers to see beyond what many critics saw as silly or preposterous. Taken as an attempt at supernatural reality—as many of these critics saw it—Lady in the Water does exhibit some obvious imperfections, portraying its characters in ways that one could conclude only occurs in the movies.

Taken as fairytale, however, which is just another term for bedtime story, Lady in the Water succeeds more often than it stumbles, managing in the end to have told an important tale rich in metaphor with heartfelt performances and Shyamalan’s penchant for offbeat humor and compositions that make audiences tense with anticipation.

The essentials of the story involve a good natured superintendent (Paul Giamatti) of a large apartment complex who finds a beautiful young woman swimming naked after hours in the building’s outdoor pool. She turns out to be more than she appears; an angel of sorts brought to our world to help reawaken man’s spirit of brotherhood; the premise established in the film’s opening narration.

Achieving that goal turns out to be part of a complex process involving various apartment residents, each of whom must first become aware of his or her purpose before being able to participate in a ritual that will complete the young seraph-like swimmer’s mission.

How Shyamalan as screenwriter ultimately extends the mystery surrounding the woman to much of the cast will keep viewers intrigued and entertained as the search begins for The Interpreter, The Healer, The Guild, The Guardian and other figures from among the nicely drawn apartment dwellers who frequently share center stage.

There are some fine instances of suspense, moody cinematography and another moving score from Shyamalan regular James Newton Howard, who seems to compose some of his best stuff for the director. Add those elements to a few authentic feel-good moments and the result is an entertaining escape with a substantive thematic core.

Sure, Shyamalan made a mistake by casting himself in a crucial role, although his performance is serviceable. And, yes, there are some aspects of the narrative that should have been updated from the children’s version of the story for a film also intended to engage adults.

That makes Lady in the Water flawed in certain cinematic terms, but it's still worth watching, with several fine qualities that will keep you interested in what’s going on if your head is in the right place for this kind of fable.

#