The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water

Starring Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer

Directed by Guillermo del Toro

The Story:
Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins) is a mute woman who works as a janitor at a secret government facility during the Cold War, and is friends with her closeted gay neighbor Giles (Richard Jenkins), and Zelda (Octavia Spencer), an African American woman she works with.

One night, the government comes with an unknown Asset, and Colonel Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon) takes over command.  Elisa sees the Asset and discovers it's actually a mysterious sea creature that closely resembles a human, and the government is keeping it secret so the Soviets don't get their hands on it.  Elisa is smitten by the creature, and reaches out to it using her forms of communication, mainly sign language.  The creature begins responding to Elisa, and the two form an unlikely friendship as Strickland plans on killing it so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands, causing Elisa to hatch a desperate plan to break it out and save its life.

The Synopsis:
When it comes to visionary directors, Guillermo del Toro is near the top of the list.  With films like "The Devil's Backbone," "Hellboy," "Pacific Rim" and his magnum opus "Pan's Labyrinth," he's established himself as a director who enjoys painting outside the boundaries, providing films that tell a deeply humanistic story but in a wildly fantastical way that teleports you to an entirely different place and time. With "The Shape of Water," he nearly reaches his apex, providing his best work since "Pan's," and whisks us away on an adult fairy tale that combines "Beauty and the Beast" and "Creature From the Black Lagoon."

Elisa is a mute woman who communicates through sign language, but cannot speak due to her throat being repeatedly slit during childhood before she's abandoned.  She lives in an apartment above a movie theater, and her neighbor is an elderly gay man named Giles, and the two have a firm friendship.  She's also friends with Zelda, her co-worker, who is African American.  You can already correlate an analogy between these characters and modern times that del Toro doesn't sugarcoat - it's the outcasts, the downtrodden, the neglected that make the biggest impact and have the most heart.

Yet it's also these types of people who experience the highest amount of loneliness, and that's when Elisa establishes a new connection with the Amphibian Man.  Like herself, he can't communicate verbally, but that doesn't mean he's slow or dumb - especially when she teaches him sign language and shows true humanity, contrasting Strickland's harsh, unforgiving torture of the innocent creature.  It's this bond that brings the two together, and forms the most unlikely pairing you'd expect, yet also somehow makes sense.

Sally Hawkins gives a commanding performance, where she speaks volumes without whispering a word, due to her facial expressions and hand gestures.  It's extremely difficult for an actor to act without words, and only the best can do so in a way that demands your attention, and Hawkins does just that.  It's beautiful poetry as she moves her hands to express her emotions, be them happy, sad, or even angry.  You're drawn to her, mesmerized by her, and moved by her plight.

Michael Shannon is evil epitomized, a ruthless man who believes women should be silent (and is strangely attracted to it), God is the image of a white male, and anything that goes against what he considers normal should be eradicated.  He carries around a cattle prod and is the definition of remorseless, and Shannon explicitly portrays that not just by his vile-filled words, but his stern looks and uncaring demeanor.  Octavia Spencer plays a great supporting role as Zelda, a character that seems to be a blend from her previous works "The Help" and "Hidden Figures" (the concept not lost to the fact that she earned Academy Award nominations for both roles - winning for "The Help" - and will probably receive recognition here again).

Yet, besides Sally Hawkins, it's Richard Jenkins who steals the show as Giles, the lovable neighbor with the heart of gold who suffers from the repeated blows society gives to him.  He lives alone, has no other friends apart from Elisa, struggles with being an older gay man in a world that still condemns homosexuality, and labors about a life wasted.  He's the most flushed-out character besides Elisa, and you can't help but feel for him thanks in huge part to Jekins' performance, which should be recognized come Oscar time.

Aside from the tremendous acting and directing, the cinematography is a visionary delight, thanks to Dan Laustsen, who worked with del Toro on "Mimic" and "Crimson Peak."  The entire film is bathed in hues of green (to go along with the concept of the water the creature resides in), the costumes and set designs sends us to the 1960s, and the entire film feels like you're floating through a magical, wonderful dream.  You are captivated - ravished, even - by the visuals you're beholding, encapsulating you in a way that pulls you into the film like the fairy tale it so intrinsically weaves.  The design of the creature - even though animal, still stunningly human, especially when it stands on two legs and exhibits the bodily features of humans - is also spectacular, with frequent del Toro collaborator Doug Jones (who was also the memorable creature from "Pan's Labyrinth") behind the latex and makeup.  There's no CGI in the making of this monster, it's wholly tangible and practical, adding to the sense of wonder the film delivers.

The Summary:
With stunning visuals, a magical original script, top-notch acting, and lavish cinematography, Guillermo del Toro gives us another splendid story that transports us to a special time and place, where we're gifted by witnessing a beautiful relationship that transcends understanding.

The Score: A+