Best Picture Nominee Review: The Shape of Water

Visionary director Guillermo del Toro has been on a streak of mediocrity in recent years, and no film has quite reached the grandeur and critical acclaim of his magnum opus, Pan’s Labyrinth. Pacific Rim, Mama, and Crimson Peak were all rather enjoyable films, but none of them particularly stood out. Toro finally changed this trend with his most recent film, The Shape of Water. Basically Beauty and the Beast for adults, The Shape of Water tells the story of Elisa Esposito, a mute woman who works as a custodian in a government lab in 1960s’ Baltimore. Her peaceful existence is disrupted, however, when she befriends a mysterious semi-aquatic monster that is housed in the lab, and she begins to fall for him, which entangles her in an overarching government plot that puts her, the monster, and everyone she loves in danger.

If the thought of a woman falling in love with a sea monster seems bizarre to you, then you are not entirely wrong. This film always feels somewhat odd and eccentric, but it is certainly original. Eccentricities aside, this is a very entertaining and deeply moving film that explores characters as they try to fill gaps in their lives, even if their quests are unconventional or frowned upon. All of the main characters are explored, and I feel like I should specifically mention the character arch of Giles, Elisa’s neighbor. His character arch was one that I did not expect in this film, and it revealed the hostile undertones of the 1960s, showing how certain groups of people were oppressed. This was a very critical look at the 1960s, and it was something I did not expect, but I was very pleased with it.

Besides the thoroughly explored characters and their surprising characteristics, the film has much more to offer. Much like Pan’s Labyrinth, this film is a blend of genres. It has the monster from science fiction film, the transcendent romance stereotypical of a fantasy or Disney film, the politics and subplot of a spy thriller, and the violence and intensity of a horror movie. All of these elements are very well combined into one cohesive story filled with great characters, an exciting plot, and mature and violent content that really grounds the film into reality in the darkest and most disturbing ways. All of this organized chaos of sorts is held together by an extremely talented cast that are able to balance the juggling act that is this film. Sally Hawkins (Elisa) and Octavia Spencer (Zelda, Elisa’s coworker and friend) both received Oscar nominations and with good reason. The acting is truly impressive.

The film also has very impressive practical effects and cinematography. There is very little CGI in this film. In fact, the monster is just a man in a very elaborate suit and prosthetics, but you would never know. The practical effects in general are also excellent. The lack of CGI leaves no room for any tacky visuals and makes everything seem even more realistic. Also, in classic Guillermo del Toro fashion, the cinematography is gorgeous. Everything appears so rich and vibrant, yet it still delivers the intended gloomy and eerie tone. Toro is famous for his eye-popping visuals and this film is no exception. It definitely deserves the nomination for cinematography.

Unlike the other Oscar nominees I reviewed, I do have one disappointment with this film. It is the tone. Since the film combines so many genres and subplots into one giant film, the tone tends to vary quite a bit from scene to scene. It will go from romance to violence to character development very rapidly. For the most part, the tonal shifts are handled well, but sometimes the shifts are quite abrupt and jarring. I suppose this could be intentional in an attempt to make the film more realistic, since real life isn’t totally consistent. Still, however, these shifts can be a bit unexpected and did detract from the experience a bit. It is still a very minor flaw though and certainly isn’t one that ruined the film.

Overall, this is an amazing film. It’s entertaining, dark, deep, and moving, and it, for the most part, very successfully blends genres to create a unique, engrossing film that signals a return to greatness for Guillermo del Toro. It has one minor flaw that, in my opinion, lowers it slightly below the three greats of 2017: Call Me By Your Name, Lady Bird, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Nonetheless, it is still a fantastic film and is by far one of the best films of the year. I hope Guillermo del Toro keeps up this trend and starts making more films that compare to the masterpiece that is Pan’s Labyrinth.