'Lady in the Water' is the latest film from the most successful Hindu in Hollywood, M. Night Shyamalan. Having produced classics like Signs and Sixth Sense, hopes were high for another high calibre cinema experience.

'Lady in the Water' begins when a sea nymph/narf called Story incarnates in the pool of a residential complex called the Cove and finds an unlikely friend in its dispirited and lonesome superintendent, Cleveland Heep. However she is no ordinary nymph but a Madam 'narf', whose incarnation and subsequent departure is meant to usher in the seeds of great change. Thus Cleveland, with the help of the eccentric motley crew that inhabit the Cove must find a way to return Story to her home, the Blue World, all the while protecting her from the giant-hyena like monster 'scrunt' that is hell bent upon stopping her.

The folktale that Story has materialised from is meted out in prolonged expositions by a stereotypical elderly Chinese lady and her sometimes annoying and other times amusing daughter. Eventually Cleveland learns that there are humans in this story who are helpers and have a specific part to play in ensuring Story's journey home. In fact, finding out who these helpers are and just how they will help is part of the fun and frustration of the film.

The film deals with several metaphysical and spiritual concepts, though these are liable to be missed by a cursory viewing. In brief, Lady in the Water, is a film about interconnectedness, destiny and belief. Even seemingly meaningless encounters with other individuals play a part in moulding individual and collective destiny. There is also the concept of reawakening the 'inner-child' to rediscover your life's purpose and following your dreams. Unfortunately the story and metaphors used weren't strong enough to deliver the message. The spiritually minded may catch what the film is trying to say, but the average cinemagoer would not.

Like Shyamalan's previous film The Village, Lady in the Water is not a film for everyone. While the plot is hazy and seems artificially manufactured, it throws in enough twists and turns to keep you engaged until the last schmaltzy drop. And though not as engaging, as say Sixth Sense or Signs, it does contain the distinctive eerie tone that is his speciality. The film takes great pain to ensure that it is not predictable. This Shyamalan occasionally works too hard to make sure that twists and scares are coming from the side of the screen we're not expecting. But when the scares do come they are certainly intense and hard-hitting.

As far as the performance of the cast goes, in spite of an unlikely stutter that feels like an afterthought, Paul Giavatti as Cleveland Heep is watch-able as always. And Bryce Dallas Howard as the pale faced and scared nymph also does a good job looking other worldly, although she doesn't have to do much except look pale faced and scared while being water soaked and damp. Though the rest of the characters are rather one-dimensional and clichéd, like the grumpy film critic and a crossword solving single dad, they do the job for what it is. But it does seem slightly pretentious of M. Night and certainly not in any subtle way, to cast himself as a writer (with a considerable screen time SI might add) who is the vessel through whom the nymph will bring about the great awakening.

Overall, though desperately optimistic and at times not so believable, fans of M. Night would find themselves in familiar waters with the Lady. And in spite of all the negative reviews, it is still worth watching, as it is one of those films that people would tell you they hate, but you might just end up loving.