Guillermo del Toro has been one of the best working auteurs in Hollywood for several decades now — and for good reason.
As a director, del Toro has the unique ability to go all-in big in his films while retaining thoughtful storytelling substance. In combination with very fun yet thoughtful scripts, his love of practical effects often conjures up twisted creatures and sequences that always make for memorable cinematic experiences.
“The Shape of Water” is an elegant addition to del Toro’s collection of modern adult fairytales, brimming with venerable craft and artistry all around.
Set in the early 1960s during the Cold War, the film centers around Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins), a mute, lonely soul working as a custodian inside a top-secret government facility. The monotony of her job is suddenly broken when an Amazonian river god/fish man is brought in for study. The two soon fall in love and hatch an escape plan before the Amphibian Man is executed by his captor, Col. Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon).
Hawkins is phenomenal as Elisa.
Without speaking a single word — mostly — Hawkins richly conveys Elisa’s inner turmoil and passion through her body language and eyes, especially in her romantic interactions with the Amphibian Man. She also carries herself with a spunky attitude that’s great to watch in lighter moments. It’s a very different but flavorful performance that’ll easily go down as one of the year’s best.
Shannon is also allotted a surprising amount of screen time as the colonel, but it works well in the film’s favor.
His smoldering performance teems with nuance as he paints the portrait of an aging man stricken with the fear of losing his relevance and masculinity. It pairs well against Michael Stuhlbarg’s character, who snuck in a compelling performance as a Soviet spy struggling between his patriotism and ultimate dedication to science.
Between Elisa and Strickland’s plotlines the film begins to slow down significantly between the second and third acts. Del Toro focuses quite a lot of time on Strickland’s rotting ego and the romantic relationship between Elisa and the Amphibian Man over a central unifying conflict. The characters are serviced admirably, but the narrative stutters frequently due to a lack of plot drive.
This slower pace is not totally a bad thing though, as “The Shape of Water” has some absolutely exquisite moments making up the time.
The underwater scenes contain some of the most breathtaking shots of the year with their alluring, tableau-like cinematography. Alexandre Desplat’s musical score adds a serene quality to these moments that makes them absolutely captivating.
Also of note is the tantalizing production design.
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Somehow del Toro makes the film’s muted grays, blues and greens look visually stunning. What could have been apparently drab in coloration is instead stylized for a gorgeous underwater feel that rivals “Pan’s Labyrinth” in its visual heights.
The film can be slow at times, but “The Shape of Water” is always poetically mesmerizing regardless. Del Toro has delivered another thematically and visually rich film. Expertly crafted from top to bottom, “The Shape of Water” is one of 2017’s best films — and perhaps its most beautiful.
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Hector Valverede is a culture reporter with the Daily Lobo. He primarily writes movie reviews. He can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @hpvalverde.
