2017’s “The Shape of Water“, directed by Guillermo Del Toro.
Starring Sally Hawkins, Doug Jones, Michael Shannon, Richard
Jenkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Stuhlbarg, David Hewlett, and Nick Searcy.
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director (Guillermo del Toro), Best Actress (Sally Hawkins), Best
Supporting Actor (Richard Jenkins), Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer),
Best Original Score (Alexandre Desplat), Best Original Screenplay (Guillermo
del Toro and Vanessa Taylor), Best Cinematography (Dan Laustsen), Best Costume
Design (Luis Sequeira), Best Sound Editing (Nathan Robitaille and Nelson
Ferreira), Best Sound Mixing (Christian T. Cooke, Glen Gauthier, and Brad Zoern),
Best Film Editing (Sidney Wolinsky), Best Production Design (Paul D. Austerberry,
Shane Vieau, and Jeffrey A. Melvin).
What is it about?
“The Shape of Water” is about a mute janitor (Sally
Hawkins), who works in a Baltimore scientific research facility in 1962. After
a general brings back a humanoid fish creature from South America(Doug Jones),
Hawkins and Jones find that they have an attraction to each other. With help
from her gay neighbour (Richard Jenkins) and co-worker (Octavia Spencer),
Hawkins has to get past psychopathic company man (Michael Shannon), as well as
competing government spies (Michael Stuhlbarg) who want the asset for sinister
purposes. Will this hostile dryland setting prove fecund enough for their union
to take hold?
Why is it worth seeing?
Director Guillermo Del Toro’s love of movies has never been
more clear in this homage to cinema. Referencing old musicals, European art
house cinema, and 50’s diners for art direction, it’s a feast for the
eyes, and occasionally the heart.
Unfortunately, the visuals take centre stage, and we’re left
to stare at some more of Del Toro’s creature love, going through, well, human
love. Like an outsider wandered in from the seminal 2006’s “Pan’s Labyrinth”,
or even the “Hellboy” series, Doug Jones’ fish character is difficult to get
behind. While Sally Hawkins is divine as the spunky heroine who isn’t afraid of
the colour of one’s scales, it was difficult to get swept up in their salmon
powered meet cute. As well, Michael Shannon’s character is way over the top,
and we are left to tackle the metaphor about how the monsters amongst us
sometimes look human and wear suits.
“Water” has some lovely moments, and some lovely intentions,
particularly in the musical homage scene- but in a romance of 2 beings bonding,
it lacks a lot of heart, and feels like it has low stakes, even for his
trademark scenes of gross violence. For such a personal and unique movie, it
feels oddly patched together, a hodge podge of former movies, and is a ghost of
Del Toro’s stronger and more personal work.
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