Hello all, and welcome to my review of The Shape of Water! 😀
Lol, I’ve always been a fan of unconventional romances, and this one is definitely… different. But in a good way! 😀
Starring: Sally Hawkins (Elisa Esposito), Doug Jones (Amphibian Man), Octavia Spencer (Zelda Fuller), Richard Jenkins (Giles), Michael Shannon (Richard Strickland), Michael Stuhlbarg (Dr. Robert Hoffstetler)
Plot (taken from IMDb):
“At a top secret research facility in the 1960s, a lonely janitor forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held in captivity.”
Trailer:
Characters:
Sally Hawkins (Elisa Esposito) – Lol, I absolutely love her! Sally Hawkins really brought a lot of heart to this role. She’s pretty tough too. She follows what she believes, no matter what. Even if that means pitting herself against a really gross villain, lol.
Doug Jones (Amphibian Man) – This was an interesting character, and I really liked him. I almost wish there could’ve been a way to learn more about him and where he came from. You get little bits and pieces – just enough to give you the general idea.
Octavia Spencer (Zelda Fuller) – One of Elisa’s two close friends. She’s always got Elisa’s back, even when she’s scared. And I also love this actress!
Richard Jenkins (Giles) – The other of Elisa’s two close friends. I really like him, and the heartwarming relationship he has with Elisa. They’re kind of like family. I also really liked those moments at the beginning and end where he did a little voice over. I thought that fit really well.
Michael Shannon (Richard Strickland) – Oh man, this actor plays an amazingly icky-feeling villain, lol. There are many nasty things about this character, and I kind of kept hoping he would get hit by a truck or something.
Michael Stuhlbarg (Dr. Robert Hoffstetler) – A character who would generally have a questionable moral compass, but who redeems himself a little through some of his actions.
Review:
You know me, I’m a sucker for romance. I look for it everywhere. In books. In movies. In music. Even in video games.
And this trailer looked so interesting. Different from the kind of romantic movies I usually see. The whole premise was intriguing – the two leads who can’t speak but find common ground, the setting, and the mysterious nature of the Amphibian Man.
And then I saw who the director was… the one responsible for Pan’s Labyrinth and Crimson Peak and my subsequent eating of depressed feelings via mass quantities of chocolate cake…
Guillermo del Toro.
*throws salt over shoulder*
We have a sad history, his movies and I. A passionate love/hate relationship. On the one hand, he’s extremely imaginative and his movies are beautiful. On the other, his movies also tend to end in various degrees of suffering, tragedy, and death – with the exception of Pacific Rim. And maybe Hellboy. Lets give him two where I didn’t need chocolate cake.
So I was a little hesitant going into this.
The setting lulled me into a sense of complacency though, so I took a chance. For some reason the over all feel of the movie is really almost kind of sweet – aside from any scene with Strickland. Lol, then things get icky.
About 3 minutes in though I was hit with a scene I wasn’t expecting at all. The husband and I just exchanged “well that just happened” glances, and thought for a minute we saw the wrong trailer.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not scarred for life or anything. It was only shocking because it felt really out of place with what we were expecting based on the trailer. The few scenes in this movie that are kind of graphic feel jarring, considering the feel of the rest of the movie.
That’s really my one nit-picky complaint, and it’s not a deal breaker at all. This is a genuinely good movie, and I absolutely loved it! 😀
I loved the connection between the Amphibian Man and Elisa from the beginning. The way they slowly came to trust each other, and to learn to understand each other, was really endearing.
I also loved how fierce Elisa could be. She was used to being underestimated and not always treated with the most respect, just because she couldn’t talk. But she faced it all with strength and dignity, and she really was kind of a silent badass, especially there at the end.
As unusual as this romance may seem, since Elisa’s love interest is very clearly not in any way human in appearance (aside from standing on two legs), it really is a touching romance. They accept each other completely, and fight to overcome the odds standing between them.
I’m glad I took a chance on this one. 😀
My rating for The Shape of Water: Cash-Worthy – I really wasn’t entirely sure what to expect with this movie, and there were several times where it surprised me, but I absolutely loved it. This is definitely worth checking out, especially if you’re interested in movies like Beauty and the Beast or Fur , or movies with unique romances in general. 😀
~~~~~~~~~~
My Rating System:
Epic: This movie is so mind-bogglingly awesome that I may go see it twice. This one will have a place of honor on my shelf.
Cash-Worthy: Good stuff. This will most likely find a place on my shelf.
Not Bad: I liked it. I’m glad I saw it, and it may or may not end up on my shelf at some point. I would say rent it first to be safe.
Meh: Rent it first. You may love it or hate it, but I’m indifferent probably because it’s not my type of movie. I’m glad I saw it, but it won’t end up on my shelf.
Emergency Cake: I have an emotional reaction to movies sometimes, especially to tragedies. If a movie makes me sad or angry, sometimes it will stick with me for a while. At these times, only chocolate cake can save me. Chocolate cake makes everything better. No shelf for you. Ever.
~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~
paigeaddams 
It looked interesting, but I’ve settled on waiting for stuff to come on streaming platforms before investing my time (I’ve been burned a few times).
For some reason, I’ve also developed an intolerance for evil/bad characters surviving more than a few scenes after they’re introduced, especially if they’re on the far end of the evil/bad spectrum.
It basically turns me off and in a specific way: I don’t mind so much when they are loners, psychopaths, or living on the fringes of society but I’m way less tolerant when institutionalized (as it looks here).
Perhaps it’s a reflection of the times we live in or perhaps I’m just tired of them all. Maybe, I’m just old.
Yeah the bad guy in this one was particularly nasty. He really gave me the creeps. And I don’t know if it was just his personality (which was disgusting all by itself) or the combination of how terrible he was and him being in a position of authority as well. When I think about it, a super evil/bad villain with influence is probably even scarier.
And I don’t blame you. I do watch a lot of things on Netflix or Hulu before buying anything. Lol, I take chances when I go to the movies though. I’ve seen some really craptastic ones in theaters, and some really good ones. Seems like there’s several interesting ones coming up that I’m excited to see though! 😀 Alita: Battle Angel looks really cool so far.
That’s getting some bad press regarding “whitefication” or being “caucasianated” or whatever the word is. That said, it does look interesting.
Don’t read too much about the deviation from the original story as fans can get quite vocal.
I’m not sure if I’ll be watching that at the theater, but I suspect not. Have been burned too many times. I mean, I might, but can’t say for sure.
I hadn’t heard about the bad press. Lol, this may be me sticking my head in the sand and going “la la la la la – I don’t hear you!” (“you” being the press in general) – but I usually end up ignoring whatever press there is on movies. I’m so biased I usually end up disagreeing with a lot of things anyway. I’ve heard of “whitewashing,” and I remember there’s been bad press around other movies for that reason. I don’t know how I feel about the topic though – to play devil’s advocate, I don’t know if it’s a conscious thing on director’s parts, or if it’s a matter of there just being more white actors/actresses going for these roles. If the situations were reversed though, and we were talking a movie made in Japan with characters that were originally white, but they chose Japanese actors/actresses, I wouldn’t be offended. That’s just my opinion though – I don’t really know what it’s like to be an actor/actress in that situation.
I don’t know anything about the original story unfortunately. Lol, maybe it should be “fortunately?” Sometimes I feel like I’m missing something when I don’t read/watch the original of something before a more current adaptation. Other times though I feel like it leaves me open to just enjoying the experience without worrying about what I may have loved or hated about other versions.
I don’t blame you for not wanting to take a risk on an expensive movie ticket for a possibly not so fantastic movie, lol. I’ve been burned too, and I feel your pain. This one looks so good though, I’ll probably go anyway. XD
When I saw the previews, I was very interested and ended up doing research on the character and that’s when I came across both the whitewashing comments and the fan’s nitpicking about the story.
So, the whitewashing outrage (and here I’m hoping a certain type of people are not going to read this ) is to me, silly.
People conflate business decisions with social statements. Bollywood has recently invaded Netflix (probably because it’s cheaper for Netflix to get Indian films) and you can see copy-cat movies of US-made blockbusters starring all Indian actors (famous and popular actors – the equivalent of our much-vaulted stars) . . . the reason is simple . . . their target audience knows and likes those actors. Bollywood is a business and they want to make money; they’re not out there saying “we hate white actors; let’s change the characters to Indian”.
They’re saying: “what choices can I make that will maximize my profits?”
There are a number of black actors I can’t stand to watch on the screen . . . but many more white actors that draw the equivalent contempt. I’ll not go watch either.
Similarly, there are a few black actors and a few white actors I like as actors . . . it’s not guaranteed, but I’d be more prone to go see one of their movies (provided the story interests me) than the same movie with someone else.
Business; money; greed. All perfectly understandable. I could go into the Oscars debate, but it’s the same thing.
As for the stories, I like many anime shows . . . but, often, if they cater specifically to Japanese audiences, I’m likely to pass. I don’t have the same cultural and societal triggers they do.
So, if they want me to watch a great story involving great characters, action, etc. . . . they are more likely to draw my attention if they “westernize” it. It’s as simple as that, and it works for everything.
I’d be a lot more interested in musicals if someone shot the characters when they broke into a song and dance number in the middle of a tense situation.
Even in Japan, Manga series undergo a transformation when they go from print to screen; different mediums, pacing, and the fact few human actors can duplicate the crazy expressions of the drawn characters.
Anyway, the movie looks interesting, but I still don’t trust the reviews or the trailers.
Agreed! I do tend to think casting decisions are about business. I’m more apt to be interested in movies that have actors/actresses I recognize and already like – whether that’s Alan Rickman, Jackie Chan, Idris Elba, or Karen Gillan. I don’t like them based on race – I like them based on their past roles and acting abilities. I think the majority of people probably feel that way, but things get way too blown out of proportion these days unfortunately. You know what they say about good intentions.
And I’m a *huge* anime fan, lol. I feel like I could get so much done if I spent less time binge watching different series. XD
You might like this site:
https://2megaworthitwordpresscomblog.wordpress.com/
I’m not anywhere near the fan. There are few shows I’m familiar with and fewer still I’m a fan of.