Enchanting fantasy romance, full of wonder

Rating: 8/10 (10 December 2017)

Although far from flawless, Del Toro's fantasy drama about a mute woman and her unexpected romance with a creature captured from the Amazon by the U.S. government is endearing and sad at the same time. It's a story about two members of divergent species who meet one another by chance and develop a romantic spark. These two beings come to find solace and bliss in each other's company in a world that is cold and heartless. It's a more modern spin on "Beauty and the Beast" and it's well worth seeing.
The biggest stumbling block the film has to overcome is a claustrophobic feeling that settles in after a certain point. The trailers made this look like a great adventure, but it's actually a desperate fight for survival against daunting odds, but one that is riveting. The film is beautifully shot, has a sterling throwback soundtrack and a beguiling storyline milieu. The creature itself is not depicted as a soft cuddly thing at all times, refreshingly. In some instances, it can be quite menacing. Del Toro's realization of this monster-cum-paramour is both wondrous and complex.
Sally Hawkins is utterly splendid as the mute woman who works in a smallish maintenance position at the government facility where the creature is quarantined. Michael Shannon is well-deployed as the government official who views the creature as nothing more than an experiment to be learned from. Michael Stuhlberg is also effective as one of the chief scientists at the lab. And Octavia Spencer, as always, is fun to watch here. The only weak link is Richard Jenkins as Hawkins' neighbor. There's something annoyingly saccharine about his performance and the film winds up having to overcome it, which it does.
There might be some larger metaphors in this film about race and religion, but I would leave that open to interpretation. This is a poignant story in its own right, and one that will stay with you, regardless of what else Del Toro might be trying to say. Gladly recommended.