The Shape of Water
Starring: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins, Michael Shannon
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Rated: R
You know how it is when you're on your usual late night cleaning shift at work and your boss, Michael Shannon, asks you to clean up the lab. So you head to the lab, but all of the sudden you find a fish man there. Ok. Stay calm. Maybe you can give him an egg and play him some music. Yeah that works. Wait...does the fish man have feelings? It would appear he does. Now it seems you and the fish man have developed quite the friendship. But, wait. Oh no. You just realized your boss is torturing him. What a crazy 3 days this has been. Thanks a lot, Michael Shannon. Well, now you have to save the fish man. (Also known as the asset.) How can you do that? You're just a regular single woman with a small apartment living in 1960's Baltimore. You're gonna need the help of your two best friends, Octavia Spencer and Richard Jenkins. The good news is, they're happy to help! The bad news is you have to break into a secret lab. Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to:
break into the lab
save the fish man from your boss
and relocate him to your apartment.
Can it be done? Well Elisa is certainly going to try in Guillermo del Toro's Oscar nominated film,The Shape of Water. Del Toro is known for creating visually stunning films andThe Shape of Wateris no exception. It's a technical marvel. Throughout the film, I was in awe of the production design and cinematography. Every color looks so rich and it seems that each color has a deep meaning (especially each shade of green.) There are so many homages to old Hollywood in the film, whether it be the cinema that Elisa lives above, the films she watches with her neighbor, or the direct parallels it shares to films likeCreature from the Black Lagoon. These references make it clear that Guillermo del Toro has a deep love for film. I can't forget to mention the music. The score by Alexander Desplat is flat-out gorgeous evoking a whimsical French fairytale. It's so nice to see a movie directed with such precision and care.
As beautiful as this movie is, I don't know that it has mainstream appeal. It's very strange, especially considering the plot is a love story between a woman and a sea creature. Personally, I think the story functions as an adult fairytale on the surface, but on a deeper level serves as a metaphor for being truly seen and loved for who you are. However, if you're going to see this you need to know going in the main character falls in love with a fish man. Just letting you know the facts!
Speaking of the main character, Sally Hawkins plays Elisa wonderfully. Elisa is mute, but she conveys every emotion through sign language and facial expressions without speaking a word. The film also portrays Elisa's inability to speak as a metaphor for a woman's lack of voice in the sexist 1960's society. She is a kind and loving character who wants the best for those around her. She wants to love and be loved in return.
Michael Shannon is Colonel Richard Strickland, the villain who wants to destroy the asset. Shannon is a very versatile actor, but I felt like Strickland was a cartoonish character. There are several scenes with his character involving gratuitous sex and violence that took it too far for me. It's clear The Shape of Water is a "fairytale" and needs a villain, but he just goes way over-the-top. Almost immediately he wants to destroy the asset, which is probably the greatest discovery man has found in ages. Why? What good is it to him if it's dead? Imagine what he could find out if it stays alive. I would've appreciated if they had given his character more depth and made him less one-dimensional.
Octavia Spencer and Richard Jenkins play Elisa's best friends Zelda and Giles. Zelda works with Elisa cleaning the lab. She always looks out for Elisa. Octavia Spencer is great here and brings so much energy to every scene.
Giles is Elisa's struggling artist neighbor. The two bond by watching classic movies together. Their friendship is endearing. When the time comes, both Zelda and Giles are there for their friend in a major way.
Despite some unnecessary graphic sequences, The Shape of Water is a beautifully crafted artistic adult fairytale filled with thought-provoking metaphors.
My Rating: 8/10