philly

I went and caught the 12.20a showing of Lady in the Water at The Bridge. It was annoyingly the assigned seating film. But my seat was fine and there weren't a lot of people in the theater anyways.

I've read numerous times of the struggles it took to get this film out. The fights M. Night Shyamalan had with Disney and the yelling match that went down at a Center City restaurant in full view of everyone inside. The Daily News inked this article just before the film opened.

"The most important thing that happened out of that dinner, that conversation with Disney, was that I heard them say everything [I'd always feared]. You're insane," said the director, speaking to reporters in New York, recalling his fateful meeting with Disney execs Dick Cook and Nina Jacobson (who, ironically, was fired Tuesday) concerning his "Lady" script, about a tormented building super (Paul Giamatti) who finds a magical creature in the pool.

Bottom line, they didn't get it.

Sea nymph in a swimming pool? Invisible hyena dogs? Monkeys watching from the trees? They had questions, criticisms, suggestions, and Shyamalan was looking for enthusiasm, support, praise.

I loved it. I don't think it's for everyone though. You have to be able to let go. To really get sucked into a film. Let it take you places. Open yourself up. Without giving anything away, I'll just paraphrase one line from the film. One of the residents of 'The Cove' – the apartment complex Paul Giamatti is the landlord of – blurts out that he wanted to believe in the story more than anyone; that he wanted to believe like he was a child again. You gotta let go.

This is the third Shyamalan film I've seen and the third one I've very much enjoyed, the other two being The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. His films are different and it seems that Hollywood hates him for it. I heard him on NPR [18 min] last week talking about this film and of his past films and his dealings with the Hollywood press. He thinks that they hate him because he doesn't live in Hollywood and act all "Hollywood". He thinks they hate him because he has the audacity to be as creative as his mind wants to be. To weave stories together intricately and have fun with his audience. I love his films for it. He's not just some scary movie guy, he's a solid story teller who constantly has you wanting more. Whether it be on the edge of your seat in anticipation or sunk deep into it in apprehension. He's good.

This one's a keeper. I hope it takes in $300M or so and that he shoves it down the throats of those punks who keep on trying to put him down.

Illustration: Warner Bros.

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