The Shape of Water (2017)

The Shape of Water (2017, Guillermo Del Toro)

I had not planned to see it, at least not in theatres, but I was in the company of somebody very dear to my heart who desperately wanted to see it before it would get all those Oscars, so I decided to give it a try. What shall I say? It was a bit better than I had expected, but like most of this director's work, it didn't do much for me. 

Most of you will know that it tells a story about a forbidden love. Sally Hawkins is a mute custodian at a secret government laboratory where an amphibious creature, captured in the Andes, is studied by a team of scientists and put to some grueling tests. While visiting him, the woman and the creature start developing a strong bond. Eventually they will fall in love. In most classic love stories of this type - Romeo & Juliet, Anna Karenina, even Titanic - the barriers are social, and the lovers die in each others' arms. In the case of Del Toro's movie the barriers are biological and - this is probably the most original angle - the lovers manage to overcome the ultimate barrier: Love literally overcomes Death, the lovers literally live happily ever after. 

That's all okay, this is a fairy tale with horror influences (and some religious overtones), The Beauty and the Beast with a sniff of the Frankenstein myth. The story is set in 1962 Baltimore, during the days of the Cold War and both Super Powers are interested in the creature; the espionage story adds some suspense to the plot, but be forewarned: some of the scenes of violence and torture are quite gruesome. The shape of Water is by no means a bad movie, it's a good one that will no doubt hold your attention, but the problem - at least my problem - is that you sense that the movie is desperately trying to *say* something, no doubt something of great importance. In interviews the director himself mentioned the refugee crisis. In his words this was a Hollywood movie made by an immigrant. True of course, but I don't care for messages, at least not in movies. Messages belong in bottles, and if I need one, I pick one up at the seashore. 

If you'll look past the gloss, you'll notice that The Shape of Water is a rather empty audience pleaser that is not as original as it may seem. But it's wonderfully acted and beautifully made. Sally Hawkins is sweet and winsome (you can't think of anybody else in this role) and the creature looks alive, will never give you the idea you're looking at the proverbial 'man in a suit'. And the sugary message will no doubt please moviegoers and Academies. Four Oscars you say? Thought so.

⭐⭐½

Dir: Guillermo del Toro - Cast: Sally Hawkins (Elisa), Michael Shannon (Strickland), Richard Jenkins (Giles), Octavia Spencer (Zelda), Michael Stuhlbarg (Dimitri Mosenkov/Dr. Robert Hoffstetler), Nigel Bennett (Mihalkov), Lauren Lee Smith (Elaine Strickland), John Kapelos (Mr. Arzoumanian), Martin Roach (Brewster)