The Shape Of Water (2017) ****1/2
The Shape Of Water (2017) is a beautiful, at times brutal, adult fairy tale and a good old fashioned romance, all directed masterfully and impeccably by that modern movie wizard Guillermo del Toro.
Water most closely resembles the films of Jean-Pierre Jeunet in design, tone, and even parts of the score by Alexandre Desplat, but there's definitely a bit of a Steven Spielberg/Tim Burton vibe too. All the leads are on point—Sally Hawkins as the daydreaming, headstrong mute, Michael Shannon as the imposing, violent force, Richard Jenkins as the vulnerable, relatable loner, Octavia Spencer as the loyal, thankless friend, and Doug Jones as the literal fish out of water, both powerful and tender.
The story certainly follows a formula of sorts and the actors play strong archetypes, but it's all filtered through the unique vision of del Toro. And what a vision—Water was easily the most gorgeous film of 2017 and was my third favorite on my Top Films list for that year. It's a marvel of production design, costumes, makeup and visual effects, and a poignant, fantastical tale about the treatment of outsiders and the marginalized.
Water most closely resembles the films of Jean-Pierre Jeunet in design, tone, and even parts of the score by Alexandre Desplat, but there's definitely a bit of a Steven Spielberg/Tim Burton vibe too. All the leads are on point—Sally Hawkins as the daydreaming, headstrong mute, Michael Shannon as the imposing, violent force, Richard Jenkins as the vulnerable, relatable loner, Octavia Spencer as the loyal, thankless friend, and Doug Jones as the literal fish out of water, both powerful and tender.
The story certainly follows a formula of sorts and the actors play strong archetypes, but it's all filtered through the unique vision of del Toro. And what a vision—Water was easily the most gorgeous film of 2017 and was my third favorite on my Top Films list for that year. It's a marvel of production design, costumes, makeup and visual effects, and a poignant, fantastical tale about the treatment of outsiders and the marginalized.
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