GRADE : C
Released: December 1,2017.
Cast: Sally Hawkins as Eliza Esposito, Doug Jones as Amphibian Man, Michael Shannon as Strickland, Octavia Spencer as Zelda.
Written by: Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor.
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro.
Budget: $19.5millon
Box Office: $53.8 million (as at February 1, 2018).
Beautiful Cacophony
From the very first frame the Shape of water pulls you into a pitch perfect color controlled fantasy world. Pitch Perfect because Alexandre Desplat's score is mesmerizing and the color palette of the movie is carefully tailored towards certain hues....mostly green.
It's pretty obvious that Guillermo Del-Toro is in a serious love relationship with classic hollywood.....everything about this movie, its sets, costumes,cinematography are gorgeous. The Shape of Water is nominated for 13 oscars and it deserves most of them.
What I find disconcerting about this movie is the love/sexual relationship between Eliza (played by Sally Hawkins) and the (for lack of better word) sea creature. Its a pretty weird relationship. Even when Eliza pours out her heart explaining her love trying to convince her neighbor to help her save the creature from execution…I still didn’t get it.
The actors in this movie are top notch. Sally Hawkins plays Eliza Esposito, a mute. Being unable to speak requires her to be expressive and Sally Hawkins delivers, her facial expressions are to die for. Oscar winner Octavia Spencer plays Eliza’s trusted friend and colleague, Zelda.
Eliza and Zelda work as janitors at a government research facility. One day the facility receives a creature that was captured somewhere in the amazon by Colonel Strickland(played by Michael Shannon). Over time Eliza forms a close bond with the humanoid sea creature. Soon it is ordered that the creature be executed, Dr Hoffstefler, a soviet spy tries to prevent the execution all to no avail, he later gets wind of Eliza’s plan to free the creature and helps her. Eventually Colonel Strickland uncovers everything and gets killed. Eliza and her beloved creature live happily ever after…..I hope.
This movie came together beautifully(aside from the unhealthy relationship). Del-Toro is one of the best directors working in Hollywood today. This movie dabbles into themes of racial and sexual discrimination but didn’t have anything new or interesting to say about them. I think Del-Toro makes movies as art……not to pass across a message or idea but to just exist as a piece of art. That’s his style….good and fine. For me I prefer movies that leave you with questions, moral lessons and the like….this movie doesn’t do that for me;that’s why I give it a “C”.
My second favorite quote from the movie( I decided not to share my favorite) is by Zelda. She noticed the glow on Eliza's face and realized that Eliza had been sleeping with the sea creature who didn't seem to have a reproductive organ.
Never trust a man, even when he looks flat down there
Thanks for stopping by.....Cheers.