Beautiful !

Rating: 9/10 (7 March 2018)

Saw this at the cinema yesterday and loved it ! Definitely worth watching.
Plot-wise, the film offers nothing new. It is basically a reworking/mash up of vintage creature features and the classic 'Beauty and the Beast' storyline. Socially awkward/withdrawn girl finds and falls in love with misunderstood beast, set in early 1960's Baltimore in a Cold War era top secret research/military facility.
The real magic in this movie stems from both the lush cinematography and the flawless cast. The sets and feel of the movie are very true to the times. Del Toro relies heavily on green symbolism - one character stating that 'green is the colour of the future' - and the entire movie has a hint of green. The significance of the colour is interesting, and would love to find out more about that.
The casting choices for this film are perfect. Sally Hawkins played the lead role to awkward perfection. Michael Stuhlbarg and Michael Shannon were really natural choices as the shifty/conflicted scientist/spy and the dead-inside antagonist, respectively. My favourite acting duo in this film come in the form of Octavia Spencer and Richard Jenkins, whose comedic performances really made the film. It was also amazing how the movie touched upon their personal lives as segregated minority groups whilst focusing on them as such multidimensional characters.
These days, it is rare to watch a film that really elicits the number of emotions (and some tears) that this movie has done. Very well done Mr Del Toro!