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The Shape of Water, 2017
Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is a mute woman who works as a cleaner alongside her good friend Zelda (Octavia Spencer) in a government facility during the Cold War. When a new "asset" is brought to the facility, a humanoid fish-creature (Doug Jones), Elisa bonds with him and becomes determined to save him from the cruel and uncompromising Strickland (Michael Shannon), who is determined to torture the creature into submission.
"It just seemed like the fish wasn't that into it."
This is what an acquaintance of mine said about this film after watching it the year it came out, and this phrase (which never fails to make me laugh) has been what I've always thought of when The Shape of Water was mentioned.
It just seemed like the fish wasn't that into it is, of course, referring mainly to the romantic/sexual dynamic between Elisa and the creature, but the spirit of the phrase kind of sums up how I felt about the film, which was that in almost every regard it was a bit underwhelming.
The film has a lot going for it, it must be said. The look of the film reminded me a bit of the quirky staging of Amelie, with elements like a radioactive-green key lime pie, or the look of the uniforms worn by the cleaning staff. There are some memorable images, both beautiful and horrifying.
The cast also gives the film a real boost, with each actor being basically a perfect fit for the character. Hawkins brings a perfect mix of vulnerability and determination to Elisa. Richard Jenkins brings a fussy warmth as Elisa's friend and neighbor, Giles. Spencer is endlessly charming as the outspoken Zelda. Shannon is menacing as Strickland. Michael Stuhlbarg is good as a sympathetic scientist. Doug Jones . . . is a fish man.
But something that bothered me more and more as the film went on was the sense that the characters were not all that much more developed beyond what the actors brought to them. Yes, Hawkins really sells Elisa's impassioned plea to Giles to help the creature. Shannon gives an extra edge to Strickland's sociopathy, especially in a sequence where he forcibly silences his wife during sex. Yet when you step back from the characters, the depth and growth feels very minimal and ultimately pretty unsatisfying.
I had the sense watching this movie that there were specific sequences del Toro had in mind, and then the rest was just sort of filled in. And some of that filler is really clumsy, like the two ham-handed references to the racism of the time. A subplot about Giles trying to get his job back at his old ad agency just sort of goes nowhere. Multiple mentions of Zelda's husband lead up to a big nothing.
Fine, but I had hoped for more.
The Shape of Water, 2017
Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is a mute woman who works as a cleaner alongside her good friend Zelda (Octavia Spencer) in a government facility during the Cold War. When a new "asset" is brought to the facility, a humanoid fish-creature (Doug Jones), Elisa bonds with him and becomes determined to save him from the cruel and uncompromising Strickland (Michael Shannon), who is determined to torture the creature into submission.
"It just seemed like the fish wasn't that into it."
This is what an acquaintance of mine said about this film after watching it the year it came out, and this phrase (which never fails to make me laugh) has been what I've always thought of when The Shape of Water was mentioned.
It just seemed like the fish wasn't that into it is, of course, referring mainly to the romantic/sexual dynamic between Elisa and the creature, but the spirit of the phrase kind of sums up how I felt about the film, which was that in almost every regard it was a bit underwhelming.
The film has a lot going for it, it must be said. The look of the film reminded me a bit of the quirky staging of Amelie, with elements like a radioactive-green key lime pie, or the look of the uniforms worn by the cleaning staff. There are some memorable images, both beautiful and horrifying.
The cast also gives the film a real boost, with each actor being basically a perfect fit for the character. Hawkins brings a perfect mix of vulnerability and determination to Elisa. Richard Jenkins brings a fussy warmth as Elisa's friend and neighbor, Giles. Spencer is endlessly charming as the outspoken Zelda. Shannon is menacing as Strickland. Michael Stuhlbarg is good as a sympathetic scientist. Doug Jones . . . is a fish man.
But something that bothered me more and more as the film went on was the sense that the characters were not all that much more developed beyond what the actors brought to them. Yes, Hawkins really sells Elisa's impassioned plea to Giles to help the creature. Shannon gives an extra edge to Strickland's sociopathy, especially in a sequence where he forcibly silences his wife during sex. Yet when you step back from the characters, the depth and growth feels very minimal and ultimately pretty unsatisfying.
I had the sense watching this movie that there were specific sequences del Toro had in mind, and then the rest was just sort of filled in. And some of that filler is really clumsy, like the two ham-handed references to the racism of the time. A subplot about Giles trying to get his job back at his old ad agency just sort of goes nowhere. Multiple mentions of Zelda's husband lead up to a big nothing.
Fine, but I had hoped for more.