The Shape of Water

[Chris L]

Guillermo del Toro directs visually stunning, wonderfully quirky movies that generally pay homage to the films he grew up with. I suggested to Amy that we see this not just because it's been getting great reviews but because I was fairly confident that del Toro could deliver something worth the inflated price of movie tickets. He exceeded my expectations.

The Shape of Water is beautiful, touching, uber-eccentric, surprisingly sexy and romantic, and like nothing I've seen before. It's enough to make me forgive del Toro for the overhyped Pan's Labyrinth, a visually sumptuous but emotionally cold film that drew the same kind of reviews 11 years ago. The cast is flawless, though even in the company of actors like Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins and Michael Shannon, Sally Hawkins steals the film as the mute, sensual cleaning lady Elisa, who essentially plays the bride of the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

I was dazzled by it. There's even a lavish song and dance number where Elisa acts out her favorite old movie musicals with Doug Jones' amphibious creature as her dance partner. Michael Shannon is a bit over the top as the villain, but he's no more over the top than the film itself. It has singing, dancing, suspense, spies, and utterly bizarre sex scenes. What's not to love?

[George]

Michael Shannon is a bit over the top as the villain, but he's no more over the top than the film itself. 

...or than any number of other Michael Shannon roles!