Movie Review: The Shape of Water

I have mixed feeling about The Shape of Water.

It took us a while to watch it. We didn’t go see it at the movies (mainly because it’s not a kid movie – definitely not a kid movie – and we usually only go to the movies if the kids can go), but we got to watch it a few weeks ago at home.

I can’t say it’s one of my favorite movie at all. One thing I’ll say for Guillermo del Toro is that he usually makes me feel things that make me feel weird or uncomfortable. You would think it’s the fact that a horny, single, mute woman falls in love and has sexual relationship with a sea creature, but no. To me, it was the antagonist. It’s that cruelty. It’s how his fingers began to rot and he hated himself and then and the world. It’s how he had a wonderful family, but his heart wasn’t in the right place. It’s how he feels he’s so superior and great that he can do with life whatever he wants. And it’s not the first time del Toro shows us an antagonist like this, remember Pan’s Labyrinth? I can find many similarities with these two villains. Del Toro knows his cruelty.

The movie, in itself, was okay. It has some slow parts… the tone was always sombre and blue and sad. Even when I can say it’s not my favorite movie, it did get me to think about it days after I watched it. Trying to understand how the characters felt and why they did what they did and how their lives would go on after the movie was over. So, I guess it did kind of get to me a little.

It’s still a great movie in it’s art direction and cinematography and overall, I do recommend it.

cheers!