The Shape of Water (2017)

The film takes place in the USA during the 1960's Cold War, where mute protagonist Elisa works at a government research facility as a cleaning maid at night. She befriends the amphibian sea creature, who is on the verge of being killed in order to be dissected by scientists.

Most of the characters in the movie are delightful and charming, but the actress who plays Elisa (Sally Hawkins) absolutely steals the show. She is able to convey her emotions so beautifully with sign language and facial expressions. I definitely hope to see her nominated this movie award season! 

I greatly liked how the movie paid homage to old Hollywood television and pop culture. For example, Elisa and her neighbor watch television programs that include Mr. Ed, Betty Grable, and Shirley Temple. Later in the movie there is a dream sequence where Elisa envisions herself as an old Hollywood ballroom dancer, like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. The old Hollywood musicals of the 30’s and 40’s were dreamlike, and those references heightened the already whimsical presence of the film.

My one issue in the film is the romantic storyline. I understand what Del Toro was going for; the creature and Elisa bond and fall in love because they are both social outcasts. The bonding that took place between Elisa and Amphibian Man was short and sweet in that Elisa taught him how to sign so they could communicate. With only a few short scenes of minimal communication between the two, they have a sexual encounter. It shows the fully naked Elisa embrace him, and the scene cuts away. Call me a prude, but it was a difficult sell for me that Elisa fell in love with the sea creature when most of their relationship mimicked a pet and pet owner; she taught him how to eat eggs and communicate a few words. I think if Del Toro would have added more human-like elements to him, both physically and vocally, as well as show that the sea-creature had reciprocal feelings for her, then I would have better believed it. There are other movies that better convey the love story of a human with with an otherworldly person. This includes Avatar, Splash, Edward Scissorhands, and Her.

Overall: 7/10. The Shape of Water is a whimsical, surreal adult fairy tale that is visually breathtaking but is undermined by its narrative and character flaws.