The Shape of Water – Del Toro does it again

‘The Shape of Water’ is the latest movie from Guillermo and, if you’ve seen anything he’s done before, you should have a good idea of what you’re going to get.  I’d say, out of all his previous work, this is closest to the much-lauded ‘Pan’s Labyrinth.’ Personally, I enjoyed that one, too, but I do recall one of my friends saying something about how he went into the film expecting a monster/sci-fi/fantasy film and all he got was a war film with a couple of fantastical scenes.  Okay, so his appraisal was technically correct, however I stand with the majority of audiences when I say I didn’t mind that – just like I didn’t mind that ‘The Shape of Water’ was basically a war film with a monster thrown in there.

However, that than being a subtitled film set during the Second World War, this time we go a little closer to present day and find ourselves in ‘Cold War’ America where government agents have captured a mysterious humanoid/reptilian life-form and intend to use it in their space-race (I’m not sure how this was to be achieved, but never mind!).  Again, anyone who has seen any of Del Toro’s previous films where a humanoid aquatic creature is involved, can probably picture what this one looks like (especially as it’s even played by the same actor!).  And, it’s fair to say that this weird-looking half-fish-man isn’t having a whale of a time (pun intended).  He’s routinely tortured by scientists and equally-creepy men in black (primarily) by Michael Shannon – who’s probably more of a monster than the monster itself thanks to his overuse of an electronic cattle-prod device of torture!

However, just when it looks like our fishy friend is doomed to a life of torture and dissection, he’s befriended by young cleaning lady (Elisa, played by Sally Hawkins) who’s also completely mute.  They then form a bizarre friendship which – hopefully – will lead to a better life for both of them.

I enjoyed ‘The Shape of Water,’ but I can see that it’s probably not for everyone.  If you’re a fan of Del Toro’s other work then you’ll like it.  The sets and period details and perfect and a wonderfully-magic atmosphere is created out of a normally mundane setting.  At first I found it a little weird, having a protagonist who never uttered a word for the entire two-hour runtime, but Hawkins is a capable lead and uses all other bodily actions and expressions to convey just what she’s thinking and feeling (plus she can curse using sign language!).  Like I say, it is two hours and, although beautiful to watch, does tend to feel a little overly-long here and there.

Richard Jenkins plays Elisa’s friend and provides some much-needed ‘heart’ and humour into the film, but the stand-out goes to Michael Shannon, who portrays the most sinister man in black since ‘Agent Smith’ from ‘The Matrix.’

Don’t expect wall-to-wall action, think of this as more of a ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ type film just with more ‘signing’ and less subtitles.  Also, if you have a soft spot for cats, you may want to close your eyes mid-way through – or just never bring a wild monster home if you have pets.

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that