A terrific and typical del Torro fairytale

Rating: 8/10 (4 July 2018)

Michael Shannon, who starred recently in the terrific 'Can't Come Out to Play (2013)' plays Richard Strickland, gammy-handed Colonel in charge of studying 'the asset', a lone fish-creature held in captivity by the US government. Sally Hawkins plays Elisa, a mute woman who, alongside Zelda (Octavia Spencer) works as a cleaner for the project. Her next door neighbour is Giles, struggling homosexual artist (Richard Jenkins, Chicory from 2015's 'Bone Tomahawk'). I mention his sexuality, because alongside Elisa and African-American Zelda, these people are somewhat outcast in Baltimore, 1962, where this film is set. All except Strickland, of course, who is fully accepted and acceptable, a respectable military man - cruel, arrogant and 'decent': apart from his injured hand, of course.
Strickland was bitten by the humanoid amphibian creature known as 'the asset', in this acclaimed Guillermo del Toro directed (and co-written) partial reimagining of 'Creature from the Black Lagoon.' It is hugely cinematic, beautifully shot, exquisitely acted and in places, strangely moving in the way that monster/human love affairs have occasionally been over the decades. Unfortunately, the sentimentality goes overboard on a number of occasions and squashes the appeal of the fragile relationship between the unappreciated mute girl and the abused creature.
Satisfyingly though, there is no doubt that the 'system', the 'establishment' is entirely corrupt and that the higher up the proverbial ladder, the more brazenly deceitful the officials have become. As in the best traditions of horror, the unsightly creature is the one we all route for, whilst those who have given themselves the responsibility of hierarchy are, to quote Doctor Who, decadent, degenerate and rotten to the core. And how do our heroes attempt to thwart the nastiness around them? They escape, they run away. Ah, would that we could all do that ...
This is a terrific and typical del Torro fairytale, child-like and affecting, with only the occasional sex-scene or moment of graphic horror violence to make the children audience members wince. It's a long 'un at just over two hours, but such is the spectacle, it never outstays its welcome. Lovely.