Cleveland Heep, a modest building manager, rescues a mysterious young woman from danger and discovers she is actually a narf--a character from a bedtime story who is trying to make the treacherous journey from our world back to hers. Cleveland and his fellow tenants start to realize that they are also characters in this bedtime story. As Cleveland falls deeper and deeper in love with the woman, he works together with the tenants to protect his new fragile friend from the deadly creatures that reside in this fable and are determined to prevent her from returning home.

The movie is kind of a deviation from what we have come to expect from M. Night Shyamalan and I found that refreshing. I think somewhere along the way M. Night got trapped in his own twist endings which led way too many people to expect them in his movies and be disappointed when they weren’t as shocking as the ending of the Sixth Sense. I never felt let down by movies like Signs or the Village which I both enjoyed immensely because they were both fantastic stories that took great time and effort develop the plot and the characters. That’s what I love about M. Night movies is the time and effort that is put into the movies tell they almost become a thing of beauty themselves. Lady in the Water is no less beautiful each of the characters are developed which a richness that almost seems to jump off the screen. You find yourself becoming enthralled by their plight and leaning on the edge of your seat to see what will happen next. This is a fantastic way to watch a movie and it is why I love M. Night and will continue to see every movie he makes.

The story is no less rich and strong because it is like listening to a fantastic bedtime story full of strange and wonderful creatures and adventures. I think it might help some people to know before they go to the movie that this is the bedtime story that M. Night tells his own children before he tucks them in at night. It is like a classic Grimm fairy tale told by one of the best story tellers of our age. The movie has flaws here and there as it doesn’t bother to elaborate sometimes into the origins of the story but you still find yourself following into a larger world and fighting adventures alongside the blue people themselves.

Paul Giamatti is the actor M. Night wanted to play Cleveland Heap all along and you can see why when you watch the movie. Giamatti is an amazing actor who pulls off the bumbling, stuttering building manager with an ease that you can’t see anybody else in the role. There for awhile when Giamatti didn’t return M. Night’s offer for the movie they considered Kevin Costner which would have been a mistake because after you see the movie you know like M. Night knew the lead needed to be Paul Giamatti. They are almost trying to make a star out of Bryce Dallas Howard daughter to the famous director of Ron Howard but she was only just ok in the film. I liked the side characters a lot more than I did her but she does do an ok job of the film. I enjoyed myself and was wrapped in the story like a comforting blanket before you go to bed.

Grade: B+