THE SHAPE OF WATER; A Professional Scotsman Review #19

#SPOILER FREE# Watch Trailer

Hellboy: "I wish I could do something about this. But I can't. But I can promise you two things. One: I'll always look this good." [Liz Sherman laughs] Hellboy: "Two: I'll never give up on you... ever."

Guillermo Del Toro is completely obsessed with freaks, the other, the outcasts - though never the powerless. His films often revolve around finding that hero/heroine inside oneself, often against the whole world. He was tailor made for converting one of my favourite comics the esoteric, deep yet action packed monster mayhem that is Hellboy [both it and the sequel are 8s] and has a long history of spooky, creature feature films under his belt that often subvert the genre. He gives every creature, no matter how hideous or wicked, their due and humanity. He's also a sumptuous film maker when given licence [Pan's Labyrinth will always be an astonishing 10] and he can even make slightly silly mainstream material, such as Pacific Rim [fun 7] or Blade II [ditto] sing. So while most directors would be considered daring (or nuts) for tackling a story set in a 60s cold war research base about a cleaner falling for a merman - well, for Guillermo it really is just another day at the office.

Hellboy: "Look at them ugly suckers, Blue. One sheet of glass between us and them. Abe Sapien: "Story of my life."

And yet it can't be all quite as it seems. The first thing to note is that the main male character (titled: Amphibian Man... but I'm gonna call his The Shape Of Water or SOW for short) is almost just a replication of merman Abe Sapien from Hellboy. He looks similar; he likes boiled eggs (though Abe Sapien liked them rotten - yum!) and both characters are played by the balletically graceful Doug Jones - a longtime Del Toro monster collaborator, he played both the friendly fawn AND the horrifying hand/eye demon in Pans Labyrinth. Yet in returning to such a similar topic I can only assume there's a deep obsession with this story/character that meant Del Toro felt the deeper need to expand on it so elaborately and with such grace and tenderness. Del Toro REALLY likes mermen and here he gives the character his dues - the film is funny but there's a seriousness to the proceedings and the creature himself is no joke. Instead of being an elegantly spoken psychic detective like Abe, here he's an almost mute derivation of The Swamp Thing and the story adopts the more romantic overtones of Beauty and the Beast. What Del Toro always excels at is making the "hero" monster/s genuinely scary and deadly and never shying away from the fact they're monsters. He also makes him physically beautiful in a way that animals often are, which reminded me of Avatar [8], undeniably weird but also... ah, sod it: attractive. The mostly suit-based creature (with some CGI blending] is sensationally realised, possibly the best guy-in-a-rubber-suit ever which I absolutely adored. And let's face it - despite a visage like a frog - SOW is built like a goddamn line backer!

Liz Sherman: "Red, white, whatever. Guys are all the same."

Which makes the conceivable romance between Jones' co-star, a perky Sally Hawkins, believable on the screen. She has an issue which I won't spoil but it also helps them connect. And of course they are both similar at heart so it's almost inevitable they'll have chemistry. Which is one of my criticisms - though I liked the stately pace of proceedings we're told almost from the off - and it's very much in the trailer so I hope I'm not spoiling things - how events will at least partly unfold. We're never in any doubt really, and though this clears the stage for larger, interesting ideas to develop to do with the cold war backdrop, I felt it was a wee bit too story book, almost too Disney-esque, in places. Yet of course, this is Del Toro! So there's very graphic bits of sex and violence (yay!) thrown in for good measure. I'm over 15 so I can handle this (just) and it was entirely necessary to stop the film sliding into saccharine sweetness for me and had a gory brutality reminiscent of Pan's Labyrinth. Violence is shown may as well be violent. Ironically though it's fun to boo the main villain, played by Michael Shannon, he probably has the least humanity out of everyone and though that's clearly the point it robs the villain of much interest except what drives his anger. A shame because Shannon can be a more subtle actor when given the chance.

Hellboy: "You're in love. Have a beer." Abe Sapien: "Oh, my body's a temple." Hellboy: "Well, now it's an amusement park." Abe Sapien: "No, no, no. The glandular balance of..." Hellboy: "Just shut up and drink it, would you?"

I've not seen Amelie all the way through but know that director well and there are clear stylistic parallels regarding the editing and the cookiness and le French-ness to the proceedings. There's even an undeniably Gallic feel to the soundtrack and I'll be honest - I wish it had been slightly more of its own mind in this regard, perhaps Spanish or Hispanic a la Del Toro himself? After all, the creature is from South America in its origins. And though Hawkins shines (particularly when she gets angry) there's something a tiny bit overcooked about her gleefully in-a-world-of-her-own vibe which I've probably seen too many times. Am I being a grumpy beast in these criticisms? Yes I am. But let me be clear - the material is richly shot, the set design a marvel and it's so deep thematically and (unlike our hero) pretty ballsy too so if I perceive problems it's only because I hold the entire conception in very high regard. In fact this is this sort of film I implore Hollywood to go for more - an extremely stylish, risque mainstream movie that isn't ashamed of itself and indeed revels in it uniqueness.

Abe Sapien: [to Manning while handling a piece of evidence] "Don't worry about fingerprints. Never had any."

Final Analysis: Goddamn it's a good looking film. The set design is immaculate, the setting palpable and thick with atmosphere. The supporting cast is excellent; funny, touching and believably brave as normal people thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Del Toro's brutal stamp and light touch are as welcome as ever. The creature itself is a wonderful creation, both in look and heart, and Hawkins' shines. If Del Toro is reheating older characters, themes and ideas, well... these are always interesting in his hands and his passion for the subject and the on-screen chemistry between the two star crossed lovers is both palpable, real and touching.

Score: I suspect it's not for everyone. But if you like tales of put upon aquatic cryptozoological creatures transposed to a nuclear silo who fall in love with the lassie that cleans the toilets then you're probably gonna like it. With that in mind, I'm giving it a solid 8.

Alternative Title: The Shape Of Abe