Review of The Shape of Water (2017) by B T — 03 Jan 2018

Like everyone else, i've been trying to catch up on all the 2017 films so I can make my Best of 2017 list. I've seen pretty much everything I wanted too, and didnt want to, and this was the last film I needed to see before I make my list.

So I drove over an hour away down to Orlando, to the closest theater I could find showing it. The trip was well worth it because Del Toro's The Shape of Water blew me away. I was one of the only people not excited for this film.

Del Toro hasnt made a great film in over a decade, and the first trailer to this was just awful. So this was a huge surprise. Del Toro somehow made a fairytale romance between a woman who cant speak, and a humanoid fish creature, and it worked and you cared so much for both these characters.

Neither of which could speak. They learn to communicate through sign. I won't say much about the story. Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is a janitor at a government research facility, and one of the rooms she cleans happens to contain this tortured, abused, mermaid-like creature in captivity.

They meet, and the film goes from there. Sally Hawkins might've just won the Oscar for this film. Michael Shannon is also phenomenal as the villain of this story. Yes this romance tale has a villain, but it works, and he plays such a bizarre, quirky, maniacal, weirdo of a person and its definitely a character of 2017 I will remember.

Its filled with beautiful cinematography and music. This isnt Del Toro's best film, but it comes damn close to Pan's Labyrinth. It just feels a bit too long. There's a Russian side story that was neccesary, but I dont think it needed as much screen time as it got.

Lastly, the character played by Richard Jenkins and sort of father figure to Elisa. His character actually had a lot of depth to him, but they tried at the same time to make him the comedic relief, and this film just didnt need a comedic relief to keep us entertained.

Overall though, Shape of Water is an incredible, imperfect film that is very different from modern films. Its very much an ode to classic cinema. I didnt expect this girl meets fish story to have as much nudity as it did, as much gore, and I never expected a black and white musical number.

The film takes risks, there's no doubt. Most of all, Del Toro leaves us with a message that most filmmakers would be scared to touch on, but Del Toro says it proudly: Beastiality is A-Okay. Especially with a fish.