The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water (2017) is a fantasy-drama directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor. The film stars Sally Hawkins (Elena Esposito), Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer.

Set in Baltimore in 1962, the plot follows a mute custodian at a high-security government laboratory who meet and fall in love with a captured humanoid-amphibian creature.

• Sally Hawkins is brilliant. She literally acts without uttering a word, in such a meaningful way. The main character portrays how every human being needs love in their life, to be loved and, eventually, love in return, no matter if the beloved is not another human. Love wins.
  
  
• The creature. Is it a sensitive mermaid or a bloody amphibin? This dualism, how the creature behaves in a sweet and human way with Elena is in extreme contrast with its brutal side, shown during the medical experiments. And why are amphibians eating eggs all the time? This character does not convince me.
  
  
• Colonel Richard Strickland or the man who first captures the creature in a river, than can’t wait to vivisect it. But why? If the creature is needed to gap the Russians in technology, why on earth this urge to get rid of it? Besides, the ugly use of violence puts a cross on this character.
  
  
• The artist, gay, close friend Giles. He helps and supports Emilia in a clumsy way. Funny or upsetting? Don’t know.

The movie does not convince me, in spide of the good reviews. Lacks in the plot and too little fantasy to be called a fantasy movie.

Movie rating: 2/5 stars

Let me know what you think.