The Shape of Water is a beautiful, ethereal love story. It is as we are so told at the beginning “A tale of love and loss and the monster who tried to destroy it all.”
The premise is a little weird, a young girl falls in love with a half fish half man dragged back from the amazon by the incredibly terrifying Michael Shannon. But if anyone could make it work it’s Guillermo Del Toro and boy did he make it work.
A twisted beauty and the beast fairytale for the grown ups. It’s a tale of the lonely people of the world. Elisa, the mute, her closest friend the older gay man fired from his job, her work ally the black woman whose husband never talks to her. These people who are rejected by the 1960’s American society are all looking for acceptance, for happiness, for love.
Sally Hawkins is incredible. She does not speak once but you never once feel as though she needs to. She conveys everything, every emotion, every thought, every feeling so superbly. It is a true testament to her skills as an actress and she is well deserving of her best actress nomination.
This film entranced me it is so beautiful all green and blue tones conjuring up a dreamy world where Elisa lives above a stunning and sadly empty movie theatre. This is juxtaposed by the dirty gritty underground world of the Cold War laboratories where the fish man is kept and tortured until Elisa breaks him free.
This is an emotional fairytale, it has darkness and anger and hate but also lightness and hope and friendship and love. What a truly wonderful film and a huge contender for the Best Picture award!
Scattered Thoughts 