Very Well Made, But Lacked A Real Message

Rating: 6/10 (18 March 2018)

After seeing "The Shape of Water" take home the Best Picture award at the latest Oscars ceremony, I wanted to see what the buzz was about (I had been meaning to watch it before-hand but never quite got around to it). After viewing, what I found was that while the film was clearly very well-made, it seemed to lack a solid message to give it real purpose.
For a basic plot summary, "Shape of Water" primarily focuses on Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a mute woman who works as a janitor at a government research facility in 1962. One day, a strange fish-like creature (Doug Jones) is brought onto the premises to be poked, prodded, and otherwise tortured while the U.S. government continues to try and keep one step ahead of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Elisa takes a more sympathetic approach with the new creature, however, and discovers that she must try and rescue it from whatever Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon), the leader of the facility, has in store for it.
As I mentioned, technically this is a very sound film. The cinematography is always beautiful, the pacing is excellent (it never feels rushed or boring), and the acting is great throughout the whole thing. Belying what on the outside looks like it could be quite a convoluted, supernatural tale, "Shape of Water" is actually a very simple film that most viewers will be able to follow quite easily. This is why I can't go any lower than 6/10 stars, as it deserves at least that ranking.
That being said, I also felt that this was almost so simple of a film as to be a little pointless sometimes. It never really surprised me in the direction it would go, and there were certain plot threads (like what exactly this aquamarine creature and where did it come from?) that I felt could have been expounded on instead of others. Clearly, the intent here was to create a very simple love story out of a very complicated set of circumstances, and that isn't necessarily my favorite type of filmmaking. In short, I wanted more backstory/information than what I ultimately received from the viewing experience.
So, while this would never be my "best picture" of anything, I can indeed see why it garnered so much Hollywood praise. It's exceptionally well-made, harkens back to old-Hollywood at times, and is very much a simple tale told at a time when such tales are looked upon favorably. It is also a film that can be enjoyed by large swaths of viewers, so that is a big plus as well. It's worth a watch if you are intrigued, but perhaps won't measure up to expectations if you are looking for more in-depth storytelling out of it.