The Shape of Water (2017)

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon

Synopsis:
A mute janitor at a secret government lab takes an interest in the latest test subject.

Impressions:
Besides his mainstream films like Hellboy and Pacific Rim, I tend to have somewhat mixed feelings about the works of Guillermo del Toro. He's a good filmmaker, make no doubt about it, but there's an uncomfortable element that leaves me disturbed for one reason or another for days afterward. I'd like to label this as a horror film, but it's really not. If anything, it's a love story, albeit with a river monster. (I jokingly call this the Abe Sapien origin film because the creature looks a lot like Abe from Hellboy. He even likes eggs.) Only as I was preparing this review did I discover this is supposed to be set in the early 60s. I thought it was the 50s (though I guess the early 60s were something of an extension of the 50s, before everything went to crap). The feel of the atmosphere reminds me of The Iron Giant, which is set around the same timeframe. There's an element of nostalgia but also a hard-eyed look at the less pleasant aspects of the time period. It's interesting watching the development of Elisa's relationship with the Amphibian Man and I enjoyed Michael Shannon in the villain's role. Also, i want to credit the Amphibian Man's costume for being amazing. I have a feeling audience reactions will vary, but I think it's worth seeing at the very least.

Rating:
Watch It