The Shape of Water - Review
This review of The Shape of Water is spoiler-free!
Guillermo del Toro doesn't seem to feel a need to fill a specific genre does he? Whether it be his TV series Trollhunters, with an excellent posthumous performance of Anton Yelchin, or a movie like Pacific Rim; he doesn't feel a need to dig his heels into one specific area like some other popular film makers do. I'm thankful he doesn't because The Shape of Water is an incredibly different and unique film. We all know the standard love story and how it has been beaten to death throughout the history of film. Del Toro takes this and turns it on his head, and what he does is create a film all about finding understanding in something that is different but also the same.
The one thing that I want to focus on most is that of the main characters throughout the film. There are quite a few different people who play a role in the movie but the most important and without a question the main character of the film is Elisa Esposito. Sally Hawkins' character is beautifully different from the world. She's a mute which is something that doesn't get covered very often in film or television. Sally takes this role and makes it all her own by portraying a lost girl who is simply seeking someone who sees her as complete. The world views her as broken and a lost cause, in her mind she leads an unfulfilled life. The best supporting character to Elisa is Giles (Richard Jenkins), her best friend and neighbor. While Richard Jenkins does his best to make the role something special, it's without a question Sally's movie and this character is more to help her character's arc. He does have one moment in the film that was rather emotional, but outside that it was rather tough.
The second thing I feel that needs to be touched on is the visuals and without a doubt, the creature. Doug Jones plays the creature or asset throughout the film. The creature is a beautiful humanoid that manages to show his humanity through his interactions with Elisa. I cannot praise Jones enough for his ability to create a character through all of the work done to him. I felt for this tortured creature throughout the entirety of the film and I was pulling for him for the entirety of the movie. Outside of the creature, the scenery is rather standard, but well fit for the 60s. The use of tight spaces when Elisa is at home felt perfectly matched to her personality. The open area of her work where she met the creature reflected the change in emotion when she was with him, and felt like open. It was a beautiful usage of setting to build on character.
The Shape of Water's story is a rather generic story, but the use of a completely out of the box creature as part of the story helps to elevate it above it's common nature. The connection that the creature and Elisa have is real and beautiful, and while it may be uncomfortable or weird for some, I found it to be touching. We all live our lives hoping to find someone else who sees past our flaws and problems, and only cares about us for who we are. Elisa and the creature finds this in one another, so who are we as people to judge them if they feel complete with one another. There are a few points of comedy that may not have been well done, but I understand why they were used. One specific moment made me crack up in the theater, but others may not have had the same reaction. It definitely could be a point of contention for some.
Happiness isn't something that can be quantified, and Elisa Esposito's journey throughout the film ended with her being happy. I say time after time that movies leave an impact on me if they mean something, and this is a classic case of that occurring. What could have been a generic love story ended up becoming something unique and out of this world. The Shape of Water isn't a movie for everyone; but its story, world, and realistic relationships help to elevate it above other films in this same vein. If you want to see a movie this holiday season that uplifts the human spirit, this is the film for you. The Shape of Water is beautiful.
