A Beautiful Other-Worldly Romance

Rating: 10/10 (4 February 2018)

I just watched this film today and I already adore it. It's a beautiful film that celebrates the magic of movies and fairytales while simultaneously subverting all of the genre's norms.
The center of any movie is it's performances and this has some of this years best. The core is the romance between Sally Hawkins as Elisa Esposito and Doug Jones as the Amphibian. While the story of an interspecies romance may be a turn-off for some people, don't judge it by it's strange concept. Sally Hawkins is mute for the entire film, forcing her to show her emotion through her expressions and motions. And she brings so much emotion to the role. Whether showing the loneliness of her normal routine as a janitor at a secret government facility, her joy as she dances to music on the TV, and her curiosity when first meeting the Amphibian, it's all imbued with an earnestness hard to fake. And Doug Jones gives an equally silently emotive performance. He takes what could be a hulking brute and makes him a scared, confused being that finds a kindred spirit in Elisa.
While the heart of the movie is Elisa and the Amphibian's, the supporting performances are equally heartfelt. My personal favorite performance of the film is Richard Jenkins as Giles. He is Elisa's neighbor, translator, and best friend. His moments with Elisa are purely wonderful, whether eating pie, listening to music, or breaking a South American water creature out of a government facility. And, as we learn, he's also a closeted gay man. There are a couple of brilliant scenes that show his challenges and motivation to help Elisa. Another incredible addition is Octavia Spencer as Zelda Fuller. She is one of Elisa's coworkers. She discovers the creature with her and goes from being wary of the beast to aiding Elisa in its escape. She brings humor, wit, and warmth to the role. On the other hand, there is Michael Shannon as government agent Richard Strickland. If you were to rate villains in how much you grow to despise them, he would be one of the best in recent memory. He's egotistical, hateful, and violent. Michael Shannon brings a cold ruthlessness to the role which imbues every one of his scenes with tension. And finally there is Michael Stuhlbarg, a scientist and Soviet double agent. In what could have been a one sided portrayal that fell back on overused tropes, he brings a layered character who decides to put science before country.
Moving away from the performances, I'd like to focus more on the creative side, which is mainly the vision of one man, Guillermo del Torro. The script pays homage to everything from fairytales to monster movies to spy thrillers. It is tender, surprising, tense, and wonderfully strange in a way only del Torro could conceive. And the direction combines all of the formerly mentioned homages into a beautiful direction that creates memorable visuals that will stay with you far after the end credits.
On top of the direction, the visual effects are beautiful as well, especially in regards to the Amphibian. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that they really cast a fish actor. There is never a scene where he seems fake, a feat few big budget blockbusters can achieve.
I decided to write this review not just because I feel very passionately about this film, but to right the wrongs I see in many negative reviews. A big complaint I've seen is about the interspecies relationship. While the film is very sexual, it is done in a very tasteful and gentle way. I find it done much better than a lot of films, especially a certain series named after shades of colors.
In the end, the film is less about a romance between a woman and a fish, but a story of marginalized people coming together and finding each other. Look past the initial strangeness and you'll find a beautiful and truly unique film that must be seen, preferably in theaters.