'The Creature From The Black Lagoon' meets 'Amelie' ; one of the year's best films.

Rating: 10/10 (2 December 2017)

THE SHAPE OF WATER (2017) **** Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, Nick Searcy, David Hewlett. 'The Creature From The Black Lagoon' meets 'Amelie' could've been the pitch for this romantic sci-fi offering from filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (who co-wrote with Vanessa Taylor) about a lonely, mute cleaning woman (Hawkins continuing to make smart decisions in a truly remarkable career thus far) for a top secret government lab circa 1962 where she finds an unlikely soulmate - an amphibious man-like creature (Jones doing wonders in motion capture ballet) that has been captured and taken from the swamps of South America to Baltimore for further observation and study. Del Toro balances fantasy, horror and genuine dramatic pathos wonderfully with dexterity in blending his odd couple into one amazing study of the concept of communication via love. Spencer adds strong and fun support as Hawkins' co-worker, BFF as well as Jenkins as her gay, commercial artist next-door neighbor but it is Shannon who stands out as the villainous and odious security lead to the operation whose racist, sexist, bullying jerk has subtle shades of grey bubbling underneath the surface - which best could also describe this superb film. Outstanding production design by Paul D. Austerberry, Nigel Churcher's varying hues of eerie and ethereally themed greens add punch with art direction, a sublimely romantic score by Alexander Desplat and handsome cinematography by Dan Laustsen prove a joint effort by all involved. One of the year's best films.