The Shape Of Water

THE SHAPE OF WATER

Director : Guillermo Del Toro

Year : 2018

Genre : Science Fiction

Rating : ****

Nominated for 13 Oscars as well as a barrel full of BAFTA's, Golden Globes and numerous other prestigious industry awards, Guillermo Del Toro's sumptuous sci-fi romance 'The Shape of Water' is a beautifully realised treasure of a movie that sees the Mexican director at the very height of his auteuristic powers. A strange hybrid of 'Beauty & The Beast' and 'Creature from the Black Lagoon', the movie tells of the unorthodox yet powerful romance between Elisa, a mute cleaning lady (brilliantly played by Sally Hawkins) and a humanoid amphibian (Doug Jones) held captive in a top secret scientific facility.

On face value, 'The Shape of Water' is completely preposterous and in many ways, it is. After all, the story of a lady falling head over heels in love with a giant gill-man isn't usually the kind of movie to be nominated for over a dozen Oscars. But is in it's preposterousness that it succeeds so well, giving audiences a beautifully told fable that is reminiscent of the great fairy tales of old. Director Del Toro, who is of course no stranger to the world of fantasy, bathes his creation in an almost hallucinogenic aquatic haze, submerging his audience in a world that is both as alien as the creature itself and as strangely familiar as the classic stories of Hans Christian Anderson and The Brothers Grimm. Gorgeously executed sequences set in Elisa's bathroom call to mind Ron Howards terrific mermaid comedy 'Splash' while shots of the monster receiving abuse at the mangled hand of Michael Shannon's villainous Strickland recall the more upsetting moments from classic horror movies such as 'Frankenstein' and 'Freaks'. There is even a particularly memorable set piece reminiscent of the  Hollywood musicals of yesteryear, with a brilliantly evocative yet amusing dance sequence between Elisa and her closeted roommate Giles (Richard Jenkins) rivalling anything seen in 'The Greatest Showman'.

But be warned gentle viewer. For all of its bizarreness and quirky nature, 'The Shape of Water' is not a family friendly fairy story. It is a frank and sometimes disturbing drama that doesn't omit the more graphic and upsetting moments of life and some viewers may indeed be swayed by the amount of nudity and violence shown on screen. Sex is certainly at the fore here and Del Toro doesn't shy away from the biological methods by which a human and a seemingly genital-less amphibian could theoretically make love - a rather sheepish conversation that greatly amuses Elisa's co-worker and best friend Zelda, played with gusto and penache by Octavia Spencer. But while these admittedly rare moments of graphic tenderness do warrant the 15 BBFC rating, there is little in the way of eroticism or titillation. Indeed, when compared to the personal life of the aforementioned Strickland, the love between Elisa and her scaly heartthrob seems surprisingly normal.

The performances throughout are terrific, with each member of the very talented cast fully committing to their respective roles. At the heart of the film is Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins is simply spellbinding in the part of Elisa, portraying her with a vulnerability and sly sensuality that makes her one of modern cinemas most intriguing characters. Without uttering a single word of dialogue, Hawkins envokes an incredible amount of emotion, utilising her body language and expression-filled eyes to say more than written dialogue ever could. Like the monster she becomes so enamoured with, Elisa is a figure of pity and Del Toro (who, like Tim Burton, has always been the champion of the outsider) treats her with the same compassion and respect as he does the creature. Speaking of the creature, Doug Jones (who also breathed menacing life into 'Pan's Labyrinth's terrifying Pale Man) is also brilliant, effortlessly working through the extraordinary make-up and prosthetics stuck to his body to create a character as three-dimensional and as empathetic as our silent protagonist. 

Both are great here, as are the aforementioned Shannon and Spencer. However, the unsung star of the show is Academy Award nominee Richard Jenkins who is heartbreakingly good as the enigmatic Giles whose love life extends as far as flirty conversations with the hunky waiter at his favourite diner. Like Elisa and the monster, Giles is a victim of society's prejudices and his story arc is just as, if not more upsetting, than that of the central inter-species relationship. 

Shot lusciously by cinematographer Dan Lausten and underscored with spine-tingling precision by Alexandre Desplat,  'The Shape of Water' is a cinematic experience like no other. Like a favourite blanket, the film envelopes us in a warming, almost sensual embrace and while its story may be predictable, the conclusion is nonetheless moving and poignant. Through clever writing and boundless imagination, Guillermo Del Toro has created yet another strange and timeless delight worthy of the praise it has recieved and while it may not reach the dramatic depths of 'Pan's Labyrinth' or 'The Devil's Backbone', 'The Shape of Water' is still a beguiling, bewitching and utterly beautiful ode to love in all of its strange fashions and permutations.