The Shape of Water (2017)
2017
R
123 Minutes
An other-worldly story, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962, where a mute janitor working at a lab falls in love with an amphibious man being held captive there and devises...
User Review
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WHAT I LIKED: Guillermo Del Toro is known for blending reality and fantasy to build mystical experiences that explore bigger ideas, and whilst 'The Shape of Water,' is no different, it definitely feels like a smaller and more charming little film than the likes of 'Pan's Labyrinth.' Yes rather than a grand sweeping fairytale with intense darkness bubbling underneath, this is a very intimate human drama that just happens to have a giant fish-man in it, and the result is a more intense focus on the characters. This is especially rewarding when the likes of Sally Hawkins, Richard Jenkins and Michael Shannon are on such incredible form to immerse you in the story and make you truly care and empathise, and the result is something very investing and emotional.
Typically with Del Toro, this then unlocks the ability to transcend some touching themes about love and imagination with the right levels of mysterious fairytale ambiguity, and in this case there's also a surprising whiff of self-aware, fish-out-of-water (get it?) humour where Octavia Spencer in particular adds a comedic charm to the film. Couple that with some fuzzy and almost nostalgic and whimsical world-building and a wonderful realisation of the brilliant amphibian creature, what you get is something very intimate, engaging and charming that's definitely up there with this director's best.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: It is a smaller film than some of Del Toro's work, so whilst its grasp is strong, its reach arguably doesn't extend so far.
VERDICT: A delightfully charming human tale of love and imagination, 'The Shape of Water,' is Guillermo Del Toro at his most intimate. What a brilliant little film.0 member like this review.
