Review of The Shape of Water (2017) by John G — 16 Apr 2018

Artistically this film is fantastic. Every space is like its own character with its own mood and atmosphere. A lot of it has to do with light, whether it's the dimly lit hallway of Elisa's apartment, her bus rides in the twighlight, or harsh fluorescent lighting of the laboratory. This is the world in which the characters dwell. Outcasts of society - a mute woman, a gay man, an African American woman (to an extent), and a merman like creature - they find friendship and support and love in each other.

The movie is a love story and a little bit of a thriller and a visual poem. But I feel that in order to fully appreciate it one needed to be fully immersed, and I kept getting thrown out. One problem was that as a native Russian speaker I found Michael Stuhlbarg's Russian hilarious and thus distracting. I also thought the whole Russian story line was rather wobbly, like it was there just to serve a purpose. Another element that felt contrived was the presence of three scars on Elisa's neck. The explanation they offered accounted for one scar, the other two seemed to be there for the sole purpose of being transformed at the end. The relationship between Elisa and the creature was beautiful, but I had to squash my queasiness when it went sexual. I mean, yes, he was intelligent and sensitive, and could sit at the table like a person eating his beloved eggs, but he wasn't human. Was it really necessary? And lastly, maybe that's just me and my dislike of gore, but was the last scene with the fingers necessary?

The ending was really beautiful. I just wish I could stay with the film the whole time.