The Shape of Water

#StokerScore 10/10

This movie, from start to finish, was so obviously a labour of love. Sometimes, the director of a labour of love forgets that an audience is watching the finished product and the movie is consigned to the bin marked Vanity Project. This is definitely not one of them. 

The colours stand out vividly, green being the most important and the director uses it as background to other motifs. The actors are perfectly cast and insist that you soak yourself in their characters and not the person playing them. Doug Jones brings the creature to life, I don't want to say monster as there are plenty of other monsters on display here, since Del Toro has written an adult fairy tale and imbued it with ethereal beauty alongside day-to-day mundanity, juxtaposing the two to the point where you happily accept that they co-exist. 

It is the habits, routines and earnestness of all of the people who dwell in this movie that allows you to suspend belief and hope for the best. Yet, there is a constant sense of unease, that things are about to go wrong that kept me gripped until the end of the movie. When that end did come, I was satisfied that it was the best outcome for all.

This is not a movie for the kids to watch as it contains nudity and sexual content, but these things are entirely acceptable in the context of the overall film. So, if you love textured film making from a director who loves what he does and can approach with an open mind, you will find yourself as thrilled as I was.