The Shape of Water - Movie Review

The Shape of Water takes the classic horror film and turns it into a romantic drama. Watching this film, I remember thinking how much the creature reminded me of the Creature From the Black Lagoon. That was intentional. Writer/Director Guillermo Del Toro was inspired to create this story based on his childhood viewing of that film, wishing the Creature would get the girl. He pitched the idea years ago, but was rebuffed. Now we get to see his vision brought to life.

Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins) is mute. Her daily routine begins with an evening wake up call, aggressive bathtub masturbation, preparing a couple of meals, stopping in to visit her neighbor Giles (Richard Jenkins) and then boarding a bus to the Occam research center near Baltimore where she is a cleaning lady. The routine is an exercise in loneliness. Her sole friends being Giles and her workmate, Zelda (Octavia Spencer). Her life changes dramatically when a sadistic contractor, Strickland (Michael Shannon) arrives with a strange creature captured in South America. It is 1962, at the height of the Cold War. The creature has dual breathing organs that scientists want to study to gain an edge in the space race. In fact, a Russian agent (Michael Stuhlbarg) is posing as a scientist to gain access to the beast. Strickland finds the beast to be an abomination. His ambition is to destroy the creature, dissect it and learn its secrets. Elisa has learned to communicate with the creature and learns of plans to destroy it. She plans to save the creature, but can not do it alone. Her passion drives those closest to her to help, but at what cost?

Every year, around this time, I go to the movies and see a film that was created for the Oscars. Last year it was La La Land. This year, it is The Shape of Water. This film was written and produced to win Oscars. I just want to get that out up front. At that point, the similarities to La La Land (and many others) ends. The Shape of Water deserves to win Oscars. The story combines fantasy, horror and romance into an unlikely love story that has a dark but whimsical feel. It is a study in contrasts. Usually, a film like this flops because it doesn't know what it wants to be. But Del Toro's vision is laser focused, creating a story that feels like a love letter to Hollywood. It is a kiss to the films that preceded it. Hollywood loves a film that pays homage to the past. And this film does that in spades. But it is an excellent film.

Del Toro starts with a story that he wrote (the screenplay was adapted with the assistance of Vanessa Taylor) and brings it to life with a cast not unfamiliar with the Oscars. The story oozes originality, even with its roots cast firmly in the past. The narrative arc has everything you expect from a good story. Even pacing, tension, excitement, character development, great dialogue and originality. There is not much missing from this film. The cast includes Oscar winner Octavius Spencer along with nominees Michael Shannon (one of my favorite actors), Sally Hawkins and Richard Spencer. The performances helped bring this story to life. Combined with seamless special effects and a sterile Cold War backdrop, the film transports viewers back in time. The illusion felt complete. And that is why I go to the movies.

The Shape of Water has a two hour and three minute run time. But it didn't feel a full two hours long. Del Toro squeezes the most out of those two hours, delivering a steadily paced story that ebbs and flows nicely. He creates just enough depth in his characters to make them feel complete. The characters have idiosyncrasies that make them step off the screen. The film received an R rating from the MPAA. The film has several scenes of nudity (full nudity), talk of sexual encounters, violence and language. This film is definitely not for younger viewers.

The critical reviews for The Shape of Water are all over the place. Some critics feel it missed the mark. Others are gaga about the film. I am normally reticent when a film is produced with the Oscars in mind. I tend to be more critical of them. Not this time. The Shape of Water delivers. It could have been a lot of things. The combination of inspirations and oddly matched styles had the potential for disaster. But this film was thoughtful. It was dark but gentle. The balance between the elements was evident. Rarely does a film like this come along. And deliver. This may be the best film of 2017. I believe we will see this film nominated for a ton of Oscars for everyone involved in its success. And they will, in this case, be well deserved. 9/10.