The Shape of Water is a 2017 Romance Thriller (?) directed by Guillermo Del Toro and stars Sally Hawkings as Eliza Esposito and the legendary Doug Jones as the Amphibian Man. Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins and Octavia Spencer come along for the ride through the tunnel of love. With a budget of 19.5 million dollars, TSoW made back a modest 23.3 million dollars world wide (so far) but has under-performed compared to Del Toro's other works.
I went into The Shape of Water without watching any trailers again (still recommend) and the Rotten Tomatoes score. I left the theater very entertained, albeit a little underwhelmed by some aspects of the movie. As a big fan of Del Toro I can tell you that it is no Pan's Labyrinth, but it has a similar feel. Almost as if it could take place in the same universe. But without further adieu, lets dive into the review. Rhyme not intended.
THE PLOT:
A lonely, mute janitor at a top secret facility discovers an aquatic creature deep in the lab. The two form a romantic bond and attempt to escape from government agents.
THE LEADING LADY:
Let's start with my second-favorite part of the movie. Sally Hawkings is absolutely fantastic as Eliza. She is a mute who is... incomplete. She's lonely and stuck in a rut. Until she finds the Amphibian Man. Mrs. Hawkings didn't even have to speak a word to be my favorite. Honestly, I've always liked the idea of a silent protagonist. I've toyed around some with it myself but its never been executed this well. If Ms. Hawkings doesn't at least get an Oscar nod I'll be fairly upset.
THE BIG BAD:
Michael Shannon plays an MiB-type who captures the Amphibian Man and brings hims to the States. I think Mr. Shannon is great in everything he's in. Including General Zod for those haters. My only real problem with his character is that the film tries REALLY hard to make him unlikable. To the point where its ALMOST cartoonishly evil. Over-the-top evil characters can work, and it does with Mr. Shannon's character... For the most part.
UNLUCKY IN LOVE UNLUCKY IN LIFE:
Okay so my favorite part of the movie is a prime example of how a gay character should be written. My BIGGEST problem with films nowadays is that when a character is gay, that is the WHOLE character. A character that happens to be gay is way more entertaining than a gay character. Being gay doesn't define him. Richard Jenkins plays the part of Giles masterfully. I don't want to spoil too much, so watch this movie if you want to see a well written character that happens to be gay. I would watch a whole movie based on him.
THE CINEMATOGRAPHY :
Its a Del Toro movie. You know its going to be beautifully shot with great aesthetics. I believed that it was the 1960's. I think that you have to see the film to see what I mean.
STRAY THOUGHTS (MORE SPOILERS):
- The pacing is off, and the whole movie does feel pretty quick.
- I loved the music in the film. I want to buy the OST when I can.
- "OUR PETS HEADS ARE FALLING OFF"
- Seriously, if he can heal things then he needs to heal Pandora's head
OVERALL SCORE:
A-
The Shape of Water is a great movie, but its not without its flaws. With pacing issues and a overly cartoonish villain, it manages to still be one of my favorite movies of 2017.
Comments
Post a Comment