The Gist: A mute cleaning lady falls in love with a mysterious creature that’s being secretly studied at a government facility.From that short description one might think very little of The Shape of Water, but there’s a lot more going on in this year’s recently crowned Best Picture winner.
In fact, Best Director Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro took inspiration from the movies of old to craft a love story that’s also light comedy, conspiracy theory thriller, Cold War era paranoia, social commentary on the different ones and minorities in general, and a carefully layered drama.
Best Lead Actress nominee Sally Hawkins is excellent in the title role, but so are Best Supporting Actor nominees Octavia Spencer and Richard Jenkins. Michael Shannon and Michael Stuhlbarg, as always, hold their own.
Del Toro is also notoriously obsessed about every detail that goes into his movies, so it’s no surprise that his latest product is technically sublime, from cinematography to set decoration to soundtrack (all of which, among others, garnered Oscar nominations, the last two taking home their respective trophies).
The Bottom Line: The Shape of Water has been rightly described as a great example of what makes movies the perfect medium to transport us to alternate realities. It's a sweet fable about the triumph of love amid adversities and obstacles that will hopefully charm you as well.
Grade: 8
