The Shape of Water: Majestic, Graceful, Del Toro
Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro has always taken risks. Much like his two good friends and mexican colleagues Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men, Prisoner of Azkaban) and Alejandro G. Inarritu (The Revenant, Birdman), he is one of the directors that push the limits of Cinema with every new film. But I think Del Toro has a thing that sets him apart even from the other two. He just doesn't give a shit.
He doesn't give a shit if he is considered a "serious" filmmaker. He makes films that appeal to him, to his imagination, and he knows that he's not alone in this. He made a giant monster movie with Pacific Rim, created an anti fairy tale with Pan's Labyrinth, and now gave us the weirdest romance film of the year.... But possibly the best.
With the very first shot of the film, where Sally Hawkins' character, the touching and lonely mute Elisa, is sleeping, floating above her sofa, underwater. And slowly, as the soothing voice of Giles (Richard Jenkins, I want to be your friend), takes us into the film, the water empties out and she lands gracefully on the sofa. Majestic, beautiful, poetic. A minute into the film, Del Toro had me.
As for the monster... Del Toro and his team designed him to retain a form of ambiguity. You can't tell if you're afraid or fascinated. But ultimately, it becomes both. As he evolves into his own character, a literal fish out of water, he earns your trust. Majestic in his movements, he never lets you forget that he is ultimately a monster (If you have cats, don't watch this film). But even then, he is a monster among monsters. Giles is homosexual, and his life is hell because of it, Elisa is mute, Zelda is a black woman.
That scene made me want to learn sign language
This is a film with characters so well developed you end up seeing them as human beings. Del Toro allows us to spend time with all his characters (I wonder if Michael Shannon doesn't have more screentime that Sally Hawkins). And this is a film about loneliness and connection, so obviously, just about every character is a lonely wreck. We explore their lonely existences, their crushing despairs, their feelings of failure, of pointlessness... making every instant of real connection feel... Cathartic.
And that's where the monster comes in. He is the catalyst of the connections those characters seek. Saying it in detail would be too spoilery, but this is where Del Toro blew me away in Pan's Labyrinth, with the little moments of poetry, of pure kindness, that his characters are capable of. Crushing and exhilarating at the same time, Giles' "I have no one. If he matters to you, then I'll help you". is one of the many examples of this. I can guarantee one thing about this film. You will feel all the feels.
Now I've talked about the fun stuff. But let's talk about the villain. Michael Shannon delivers here further proof of his talent. Every inch as threatening as a villain should be. Relentless but broken. He is driven by principles that we could share with him, but he misinterprets them to the point where he becomes a tragic figure. We are shown what he cares about, what he wants. Our introduction to him is in a bathroom, where he displays kindness and a hint of vulnerability... He is the best execution on screen of the archetype that he fits. Every time he is on screen, you don't feel safe.
On a more technical level, Del Toro understands that this is not a story he could tell without the finest of musical scores. Alexander Desplat is not new to amazing themes, but his work on this film gave me chills, goosebumps and made my eyes water. The editing is a thing of beauty, reminding me why it is an art form. The cinematography, which would deserve an oscar (had Blade Runner 2049 come out in another year), works in beautiful greens and teal, too often associated with disgust, creating this weirdly... Aquatic atmosphere. The camerawork is smooth and majestic, movements flowing with the characters and the music in a form of dance, reminding me of La La Land
Ultimately, Del Toro is just a guy who loves his monsters
This is a film that definitely deserves all of its oscar nominations. All of them. I don't think it's possible for anyone to recommend this film. Halfway through, you realize the story is too weird out loud. But on top of giving us a beautiful love story between two miserable people, it paints an incredible canvas on the importance of connection in our human lives. This is not really a monster movie. Or a spy thriller. Or a period piece. This is a Del Toro film. Now go watch it.
PS: Something I always appreciated in Del Toro's work is that his characters use the language on screen that they sould use in real life. The Russians speak russian, the spanish speak spanish... There is never a forced attempt to have everyone speak english just cuz.