Love Runs Deep

Rating: 10/10 (3 January 2018)

One of the best things for me about the fantasy genere is the romance aspect. Most of the best love stories come from this genere, I feel though it we have not just more creative freedom but the freedom to express what we geniuely feel. It's also expresses our deep seeded believe that someone somewhere is one for us and the struggle we go though to find and stay with them.
Del Toro is one of my favorate movie directors and believe or not this is my favorate movie from him and one of my favorate films in general. This is another kind of film I can't help but feel was almost made for me as it has three of the things I love in most movies; monsters, fantasy, and romance. The premise isn't exactly anything new but it's really more in it's execution that makes it stand out.
There are just so many great things from the cinematography and production value which is great. I really like how it recreated early 1960s era which was a time of chaos from bigotry and intolerance on all sides but also great change as minorities were struggling for equal rights.
Music is just fantastic, the orchastratic score is just beautiful as it just perfectly captures what's happening but most importantly the feelings of both Eliza and the Creature and who they are as characters. However the best thing for me is the song "You Never Know" which is just wonderful and perfectly reflects the relationship.
Characters are great from the supporting charcters; Richard Jenkins and Octavia Spencer are great as Eliza's friends, there is great back and forth between them but I like how well rounded both characters are as we get some depth on them to show the commonality all three have as each of them are struggling and dealing with intolerance on all fronts and forms.
Michael Shannon is good as a villain you plain hate as he is a monster in the guise of authority. Theres an interesting character study about him is we get depth into his diseased psyche as he is literally a product of his time, a man living on fixed notions on what a person is supposed to be, which justifies why change or anything different that threats his infastruction shouldn't be aloud. But little does he know or a creeping awareness is he's just part of a dying breed because all those notions are bull crap, despite all the things he has in his life like the teal Cadalac, the whole American dream package he's never content because it's all materialistic there is nothing spiritually going on in his life which makes him spiritually empty.
But of coruse what really makes this film are both Eliza and the Creature. Elsa and the Anphibian Creature are another one of my favorate fictional couples in my book up there with Misa and Hikaru in "Macross" and many others on my list, because like any romance story done right I actually care about both characters. The chemistry between both of them is just beautiful, I really was invested into their connection, despite their differences their feelings for each other are human.
Sally Hawins is just great as Eliza, it's probably my favorate role from her. I'll level with you I actually have a crush on this actress believe or not. Sure she doesn't look like someone from the damn CW which makes it all the better. Personally I think she's beautiful inside and out, I really love here character and she's relatable as I'm not a person that talks much either. Despite a lonely soul, her mute condition and not living in the greatest circumstances she never lets it get her down, she's socialable, she has dreams, even like that she knows how to have fun as we see her display some dancing talent.
The Anphibian Creature is great played of coruse by make up and costume actor Doug Jones. The design is great it's all practically there's no CGI bull crap, it really looks like something that could really exist. The creature is a fascinating character despite a mute and not much depth but I find sometimes what you don't say you say a lot. I love that there is mystery to him as you wonder if it's one of the meza god's from Mayan Legend, the God Nepturn from Greek Mythology, a creature seen or even worshiped from the lost civilizations like Atlantis or may'be even the mermaid creatures we heard of from fairy tales, as well as certain abilities of his which show as Shakespere put it "There are more things in heaven and earth." However it's really in it's behavior that makes us really connect and sympathize because his childlike curiousity and feelings make him very human.
What makes the chemistry truly unique is that it's non verbal which to me is the best approach; it avoids a fundamental problem most romance films have where sometimes both characters go into a bunch of meaningless melodramatic prattle that really dampins the story. Personally in romance stories I find the quiet physical expression the best parts because both characters are expressing what they truly feel for one another.
Despite communicated in silence you can hear them loud and clear from not just their sign language but also just physicality which made the connection all the more genuine and beautiful. As Old Pete once said, "If love is really true, it doesn't need an answer."
There are a lot of beautiful moments between the two like two scenes seeing both Eliza and him underwater together, which was like seeing a dance from how they move and float together. And there is one dream sequence which was great as it's a throwback to some of the old Hollywood musicals, let alone suprising seeing Sally sing and dance which I knew nothing about.
The film does a good job at touching upon the issue of racism as well as other themes like the power of indiviuals and miniorities over corrupt powers and the infaststures built on their lies, the meaning of true humanity. But most importantly the universality of love and how there are no barriers or differences.
Elsa and the Creature's love for each other just like the depths of the ocean runs deep.
Rating: 4 stars