*****
Tasked with cleaning a lab in a top secret research facility, a mute janitor befriends the strange, mythical being that's imprisoned there. Determined to free the creature from his torture, Elisa hatches a dangerous plan...
It's a strange thing going to see a film after it's won the Academy Award for Best Picture - obviously, you go in with exceptionally high expectations and think of all the other brilliant movies of the past year that could have won the title too. However, after settling back into Guillermo del Toro's typically quirky storytelling and film making, I found myself swept up in a touching fairy tale that takes the fantastical and horror-inflected elements of Pan's Labyrinth and classic Grimm tales into Cold War America. It's a bold move, but one that works, and this is mostly down to del Toro's tender and insightful depiction of his human characters.
Some critics have accused the film of being too 'black and white' in its depiction, but if we are to read this movie as a modern take on the bedtime stories of our childhood, then it is merely a classical example of good versus evil. Representing 'good' is Elisa (in a mostly-muted performance from the brilliant Sally Hawkins) - a cleaner who falls in love with the mysterious creature in the lab - as well as her small circle of close friends. On the other end of the spectrum, 'evil' is depicted as the authoritative white male, in the form of domineering Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon) and his commander, Hoyt. However, these characters aren't merely monochrome. With both Hawkins and Shannon offering nuanced, idiosyncratic performances, their roles develop beyond 'goodie' and 'baddie', resulting in an enigmatic on-screen partnership. As with all fables, however, there are also discussions of a deeper nature, such a what it means to be human, responsibility, loyalty, racism and misogyny. At one point, Strickland even compares himself with God - a theme which reoccurs as the film goes on. This isn't just a story of morality and society, though - there are moments of genuine humour (from 'He ate Pandora' to Strickland's 'Positive Thinking' book) and, at the heart of it all, this is a tale about the very human desire to find a bond with someone.
As visually immersive as you would expect from Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water is a sensitive, emotive fairy tale for the grown up audience. Fantastical and forgiving in equal measure, this is as much a story of love and hope as it is a 'make believe' fable. And maybe that's why it won Best Picture - it's a touch of tender optimism in a world that seems to have forgotten about connection.
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