Entertaining, but not earth-shattering

M. Night Shymanaialainan has given us another Signs. That is, an MNS movie that you usually don't think about or particularly remember because of its mediocrity.

Lady in the Water was a satisfying enough movie, as was Signs. The characters were well contrived, humorous, archetypal, all that good stuff. The movie was entertaining, as well; Giamatti did perform excellently -- assuring us that he's going to be the next $50 million superstar. MNS portrayed one of the main characters, and it's at that point you realize why he's usually BEHIND the camera... because he sure as heck doesn't belong in front of it.

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Which brings me to what was WRONG with the movie -- and it's all in the writing. The basic principle of M. Night Shaymanyanmlan movies in the past has been that intervention by some supernatural force has changed the outcome of current events for the better. Even in Signs, the near-death ramblings of the preacher's wife allow humanity to defeat the alien menace. However, when watching LitW, you quickly realize that the only reason for the Lady's coming is... so that they can allow an eagle to come and take her away again? In her wake, she leaves nothing changed. Shaymamlalmyan's character (the writer) still publishes the book he was going to publish anyway, and we can assume that the future stays exactly the way it would have even if she hadn't come.

So, why the hell make a movie about a fairie coming to do nothing but cry and take showers? All good questions.

Well..., you ask me, what SHOULD have happened?

I had a great plan for the end of the movie, complete with an MNS-esque twist. Unfortunately, this movie was like Signs in that there was no twist at all. Of course, my version called for an evil Narf and the writer choosing to burn the manuscript after he finds out he'll be killed for it. After all, what's worth dying for? Some kid he'll never meet becoming president? That's awful self-sacrificing of the guy.

Thing is, I couldn't stand that at the end of the movie everyone was exactly the same as at the beginning. Nothing - changed. I guess maybe they had to get a new tenant for 13B. But that's about it.

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What I DID enjoy this weekend was getting my electricity back. Now I'm cleaning up and getting ready for my inspection tomorrow (what inspection? I don't know... they just posted something on my door today). I suppose just electrical wiring and stuff like that. Then I'm off for the library to get some more work done on this project -- we should have a manuscript done by the fall, which will be super sweet! Then next week I start Wash U Medical Plunge (WUMP) and will be busy shadowing public health officials, working in free clinics, doing the med student thing!! The week after is orientation, and then -- MED SCHOOL STARTS! I can't believe it's almost that time already.

Anyway, it's 11:30 and I'm already bushed. So I'll post more later. Take care everyone.