laramie

I slept late, and read (Kage Baker's Life of the World to Come) until about noon! I was still stiff from Friday's Yoga class. I decided to drive out to the MOA, where I could see a movie and also do some walking in air-conditioned comfort. I didn't realize that A Scanner Darkly was showing only at Uptown, but I was pleased enough to see Lady in the Water.

It was better than I'd expected (Signs gave me misgivings about Shyamalan's abilities, at least with SF, but I've liked his fantasy work; Unbreakable is a favorite of mine though it didn't do that well at the box office.) Lady is very much in the modern Fantasy tradition: modern people encountering elements out of myth and magic in the context of their mundane lives. I liked that the story drew on myths that were unfamiliar to me, from other than the usual Western traditions, and I liked that a whole variety of 'ordinary' people fit into the mythic roles, playing significant parts in a world larger than that of their daily lives. The characters were diverse and interesting, and it was fun to watch the protagonist interacting with them and involving them in the story.

There were elements of the movie that seemed contrived (the film critic as victim) and confusing, but overall I liked the movie enough that I'll want to add it to my permanent collection.