Heart Shaped Box

Rating: 8/10 (23 April 2018)

Really enjoyable and beautifully made, if slightly corny love story that could only have come from the mind of Guillermo Del Toro.
Mute cleaning lady Elisa (Sally Hawkins), works at a secretive Government facility at the height of the cold war. One day, an asset arrives at the lab, a merman dragged from the sea by his handler and now guard Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon). As Strickland and the scientists attempt to gather information about the creature, Elisa secretly uncovers his intelligence and they form a bond. As their relationship deepens, the military decide that vivisection is the only option so Elisa, her neighbour and a reluctant scientist come up with a daring rescue plan.
Like so many of Del Toro's films, "The Shape Of Water" is, at heart, a dark violent fairy tale. Full of magic and wonder, its implausibility doesn't really stand up to a lot of scrutiny - but that's not the point. The film is about connection. Elisa struggles for connection as she is unable to talk, only her neighbour played by Richard Jenkins and her colleague Zelda, played by Octavia Spencer are able to understand her sign language. There's a credibility to her relationship with the creature that stems from this, although perhaps a few more scenes together would have helped sell the risk she takes to try and save him. Richard Jenkins character too is unable to make the connection that he wants in his life, as a gay man in the 1960's. He has presumably lost his job because of this, and risks the dangers of engaging with the much younger man who runs the local diner. Both Zelda and Strickland have unrewarding marriages, which feed into their desire to help or destroy the central couple.
Performances are universally excellent, but special praise must go to Sally Hawkins in what is a daring turn, if playing a Mute wasn't enough, Elisa is entirely naked in several scenes. Michael Shannon Strickland is closer to the thugs and psychopaths he's played previously, but he's still a magnetic presence whenever he's on screen.
The ending is potentially divisive, but Del Toro, seemingly aware that it might be, suggests that it's an interpretation. The other criticism of the plot is that it's pretty predictable.
It's not suitable for children at all, given the sexual content and violence scenes but adults willing to forgive a little contrivance will find much to admire.