The Shape of Water

6 May 2019

The Shape of Water 2017

• Director: Guillermo del Toro
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Sally Hawkins, Richard Jenkins, Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Doug Jones
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Sally Hawkins – The Hollow Crown, Great Expectations, Jane Eyre, Never Let Me Go, An Education, Happy-Go-Lucky, Little Britain, Twenty Thousand Streets under the Sky, Vera Drake
• Richard Jenkins – The Rum Diary, Burn After Reading, The Visitor, Rumour Has It, North Country, Six Feet Under, Intolerable Cruelty
• Michael Shannon – Man of Steel, Take Shelter, 8 Mile
• Octavia Spencer – The Help
• Michael Stuhlbarg – Hugo, A Serious Man·       
• Why? Sally Hawkins
• Seen: 3 May 2019

      

       Elisa (Hawkins) lives above a cinema. She loves shoes, brings food to her commercial artist neurotic neighbour Giles (Jenkins) and she’s mute. She works as a cleaner in a scientific facility. Her friend Zelda (Spencer) keeps an eye on her and defends her from bullies.

       A mysterious tank with a mysterious groaning creature (Jones) is brought to the facility. Top secret. Elisa is fascinated by it.

       Strange and scary things start happening, but daily life goes on with Giles, TV, tap-dancing, pie. And visiting the creature where he is chained in a large vat of water. She brings him eggs, plays music for him, dances, teaches him sign language.

       There are Russian spies involved. This is the early 60’s in Baltimore.

       Elisa witnesses her sadistic boss (Shannon) torturing the creature then planning to kill and vivisect him. She must save him.

       Humour, suspense, weirdness, politics, sci fi and Sally Hawkins, what more could we ask for? Well, a little less romantic fairy-tale would improve it. And a bit less romantic background music. And a bit less caricatured characters. I expected more but it lands on

3* of 5