Movie #151 - Lady in the Water

Title: Lady in the Water

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Release Year: 2006

Plot Summary: Apartment building superintendent Cleveland Heep rescues what he thinks is a young woman from the pool he maintains. When he discovers that she is actually a character from a bedtime story who is trying to make the journey back to her home, he works with his tenants to protect his new friend from the creatures that are determined to keep her in our world.

Thoughts: When I liked this movie, I loved this movie. The mood was right, the emotion was right, everything was just so right for most of the film. I think that's what makes my problems with it even more annoying, because it was just this close to great...

First thing that bugged me was the grandmother who tells Heep the story of the narfs and the skrunts. That she knew the basic outline of the story, I had no problem with - but the fact that she keeps on adding important plot information throughout the duration of the story, all of it one hundred percent accurate, pulled me right out of the movie. Same thing with the film critic and his "clever" little "this is the part of the story when..." Other than that, I really had a hard time with the fact that this is supposed to be a "fairy tale enters the real world" story, and yet nobody seems to have a problem believing in (pretty much) everything that's going on. I mean, honestly, would a little bit of skepticism from someone have hurt...?

And yet... whenever one of these things wasn't happening, I loved it. Paul Giamatti was heartbreaking in his role, and Bryce Dallas Howard was nothing short of otherworldly as Story, the girl from the Blue World. The vast majority of the tenants of the apartment complex were also quite likeable, though some were definitely more fleshed-out than others.

And I have fallen in love with the score. I will own it as soon as possible. It's gorgeous.

Recommendations: It has some pretty serious flaws, but when it works, it works. I'd suggest you see it for yourself and draw your own conclusions.

Movie #150 - Last of the Mohicans

Title: The Last of the Mohicans

Director: Michael Mann

Release Year: 1992

Plot Summary: Three trappers protect a British Colonel's daughters in the midst of the French and Indian War.

Thoughts: Reckon I'd have to sit down and watch it again in order to get a more accurate impression of the whole thing. I dunno, for some reason it didn't really draw me in at all.

The areas they filmed were gorgeous, though, I gotta give them that.

Recommendations: Eh. ~shrug~ It's okay, I guess.