1/28/18 - The Shape of Water - 8+/10

Another sublime vision of gothic darkness, merciful monsters and tender humanity from the master that is Guillermo Del Toro. A bittersweet beauty that truly washes over you, settling in to the bottom chamber of your heart. An exceptionally fulfilling and fantastic fairy tale that ticked every box I wanted ticked..

Societal metaphors abound and were somewhat pointed, but the pairing with old Hollywood flash/sizzle helped the horrid oppression pop for the better. The juxtapositional twist on protagonist/antagonist with someone with a disability, a black woman, a gay man, a Russian spy, and a movie monster with the tall, masculine, white, fancy car having, sweets popping authority figure was empoweringly satisfying. This was a film about the 50s/60s, made with modern sensibilities, but in a timeless fashion.

The cast is fabulous. Sally Hawkins brilliantly carries the film, while Shannon, Jenkins, Spencer, and Stuhlbarg nail their respective supporting roles. I don’t think Shannon needs to prove anymore how terrifying he can be. I love how much praise Jenkins and Stuhlbarg are receiving. So well deserved. Spencer always brings it, but I would love for her to try out another role other than her The Help/Hidden Figures standard.

The greens! The blues! The POPS of red!...oh, be still my slimy melancholy heart! The color palette, camera work, and set/art direction were superlative and transformative. It was nauseatingly delightful - simply perfect for what it wanted to be.

As an aside: Does film-maker in the world do creeping meaningful body horror better than Del Toro? I love the festering fingers and that crucial moment when they depart. The building of an atmosphere, a power and placement of those rotten digits & their fate just work so well.

This was a magnificent return to form and an utterly magnificent peak at the wondrous mind of the writer/director. His love of the dreamy horror, the magic of the movies, and the voice of the outsider permeate and so smartly pop here. Shape swims so languid and docile, slowly melting into you or sliding a bejeweled dagger between your ribs. But, to die in its arms and sink to a watery grave would be such a heavenly way to go.