Sally Hawkins engrosses in del Toro's Ambitious yet Predictable Fantasy Drama!

Rating: 6/10 (11 December 2017)

Guillermo del Toro's 'The Shape of Water' is visually dazzling & impeccably acted by Sally Hawkins. And sadly enough, its also predictable. While there is much to admire here, especially its technical aspects, its also a bit underwhelming how one can predict the entire film ahead. But del Toro is in form here and that enough makes up for its flaws.
'The Shape of Water' synopsis: In a 1960s research facility, a mute janitor (Sally Hawkins) forms a relationship with an aquatic creature (Doug Jones).
'The Shape of Water' is del Toro's love letter to cinema, as he said, so there is a beautiful Broadway dance here, along-with a love-story that tugs your heartstrings. There is genuine romance here between the mute woman & the aquatic creature. del Toro makes sure he keeps the narrative like a fantasy & the beauty remains intact in its characters & in the water.
On the downside, is a tiresomely one-note villain, played by Michael Shannon, the wicked Colonel who tortures the Creature, even after he gets two of his fingers ripped apart. The antagonist is predictably a racist & misogynist, who only lives by orders & has no heart to speak of. del Toro tries to make Shannon's bad-guy human, but he barely remains anything but a regular villain in a film where you're suppose to be on the creature's side. And it doesn't help that Shannon, an otherwise brilliant actor, goes over-the-top.
Another minus in this beautiful looking motion-picture, is the predictable story-line. You know where this is headed right from the word GO. And while some of it is genuinely interesting & offers heart, there is no denying its clichÃ©d form. And the strong violence puts you off after a point.
And despite the minuses that cannot be overlooked, the pluses still remain unmistakably powerful. del Toro's Direction is dreamlike & takes us into its world of picturesque beauty & gruesome violence. del Toro is in his element here & proves once again that he's among the most passionate filmmakers of our times, despite none of his films being perfect.
Dan Laustse's Magnificent Cinematography, Alexandre Desplat's enchanting Score, Sidney Wolinsky's nicely done Editing, along-with extraordinary work on the Art & Costume Design, only add to the narrative's merits.
Performance-Wise: Sally Hawkins is engrossing in her portrayal of the mute protagonist, who falls in love with a creature. Hawkins is pure heart & soul, fleshed out in a sublime performance. Hawkins leads 'The Shape of Water' with her astounding performance. Expect strong Oscar chase! Of the rest of the cast, Doug Jones does a splendid job as the creature. Richard Jenkins as Hawkins' neighbor, as always, is perfect. Octavia Spencer raises the best laughs as Hawkins' co-worker & friend, while Michael Stuhlbarg excels as a doctor who believes in freeing the creature from the sadists around him.
On the whole, 'The Shape of Water' isn't perfect, but there's no denying its beauty or its strong leading woman.