"I don't want an Intricate, Beautiful thing Destroyed!" The Shape of Water Review

The Shape of Water

4/5

Written and Directed by: Guillermo del Toro

Rated: R

           Within every human being is a desire for love. The common undercurrent of humanity is to embrace passion, and today it can feel like hatred and destruction are drowning out dreams and hope. In this time stories, film and art are necessary for reminding people what is most important in our lives. Guillermo del Toro describes The Shape of Water as "a fairy tale for troubled times." It is essentially a romance; a depiction of love beyond humanity and outward appearance. The film takes place in early 1960's Boston, where a top secret government facility has just acquired a new living and inexplicable creature, unlike anything they have ever encountered before.
          Three actors play Toro's main character, the marginalized and the outcast. Sally Hawkins stars as the delightful and intrepid Elisa, a mute janitor and lovely bachelorette. Richard Jenkins plays the earnest and impeccable Giles, Elisa's neighbor and local ad painter. Octavia Spencer rounds off the group as the boisterous and big hearted Zelda, Elisa's fellow janitor at the top secret government facility and Elisa's good friend. These three are on a mission to set free the mysterious amphibious creature from their top secret workplace. Doug Jones brings this volatile and beautiful creature to life, by wearing a detailed and attractive full body suit covered in makeup and aided by animatronic mechanisms and later added digital enhancements. This creature is so encapsulating and wondrous, watching it suffer in the facility is torturous, which makes watching it be tortured by Michael Shannon's character, Strickland, more compelling. Playing a role comprised of sinister intent and power plays, Shannon is an antagonist worthy of hate and a villain audiences will feel the rest of cast needs to outsmart in order to rescue the creature and embrace their own self worth. Aside from this casts brilliant performances, Toro's direction and knack for casting is so exquisite, each of these characters is able to tell their whole story through just their eyes. It is enchanting.
           Though The Shape of Water is an original film, it is not an original story. The songs and verses this screenplay echoes have been done before, and in some cases better than Toro's film. The beginning act of The Shape of Water could have been handled better, by screenwriters deciding whether to begin the story with detailed exposition or to throw audiences into the deep end of the film. Instead of choosing either option, the film has an off-putting balance between the two, and it can make viewers skeptical of this film's possible impact. The film's story is able to gain and retain an audience's attention and interest around the 25 minute mark. This does not mean the rest of the film's screenplay is fantastic, as there are moments where The Shape of Water can become overbearingly predictable. Though it treads similar ground, the film does go deeper into certain areas of this familiar story than past films have dared explore.
           Even if some viewers may not find themselves fully wrapped in The Shape of Water's screenplay, they are sure to become enamored with Toro's fascinating world. The Shape of Water's design is immaculate. Production designer Paul D. Austerberry uses his film set as something beyond a location for action. The use of teal, green and deep blue hues seen throughout the film make for rich and vivid imagery. This alluring and oceanic atmosphere is highlighted, through The Shape of Water's mesmerizing score. Composer Alexandre Desplat's music is transportive, surrounding listener's in an undersea city of mystery and beauty. It is both foreign and welcoming. When all of these elements combine, watching The Shape of Water feels less like a cinematic experience, as much as it feels like being consumed by a gallery painting.

Verdict: Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water is a masterfully directed film, if a little predictable, with passionate performances, impactful story aspects and an encapsulating visual and musical design.