Beauty and the Polyester Fish Costume

Rating: 6/10 (30 April 2020)

As one of the seemingly few people who didn't like Pan's Labyrinth, I was not surprised to find myself somewhat bored and unimpressed by The Shape of Water. The cinematography and sets felt overly stylized and the dialogue was incredibly corny for a Del Toro film. I always appreciate the attempt to create something majestic and ethereal in this manner, but this was a production that just missed the mark for me.
My biggest disappointment was in the creation of Fish-Man, who looked and moved like an am-dram student in a Kick-Ass costume. It was hard to engage with a love story when one of the participants is so farcically presented. I also found that the development of their relationship was unconvincing and incomplete.
I appreciate that there may be deeper symbolism and subtleties that I have missed but I believe that a film needs strong characters and an engaging plot above all else and on that count The Shape of Water simply lacks substance, ironic as that may be.