When he looks at me, the way he looks at me…He does not know, what I lack…or – how – I am incomplete. He sees me, for what I – am, as I am. He’s happy – to see me. Every time. Every day. Now, I can either save him…or let him die.

Let me just start by saying Guillermo del Toro‘s Pan’s Labyrinth is one of my favorite movies…his movies are stunningly beautiful and grounded but with a touch of the fantastical (hey, he won an Oscar for Best Director for this film). This movie is the same…but I wasn’t a huge fan…it was just kinda creepy to me LOL. 2018’s Oscar for Best Picture, The Shape of Water tells the story of a lonely, mute janitor who forms a relationship with an amphibious creature (that’s like half man, half fish/mermaid or something) that is being held at a secret research facility in the 1960s.

Like I said, I love del Toro’s style…this drama/fantasy starts visually stunning with great music and voice over about a princess’ reign (very similar to Pan’s Labyrinth). It’s a fascinating tale about love and loss and shows us that the “monster” is not really the monster we see or think it is…it’s us/humans. Del Toro has a knack for telling delicate stories about solitary lonely characters who turn out to be fearless female protagonists (Sally Hawkins‘ “Elisa”) with people working behind others’ back and keeping dangerous secrets. There wasn’t a lot of dialogue in the beginning and gave it a somewhat silent film type feel (which I like…and they had a classic movie woven into the storyline). The casting and acting was superb (Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon, Doug Jones, Richard Jenkins and Michael Stuhlbarg amongst others). Shannon was creepily good…as usual…he just have the face and voice of a good villain (giving real Boardwalk Empire vibes). And the makeup/CGI was stunning…as usual. Cinematography was spectacular…the transitions to black and white and song was skillfully done.

So that wraps up what I enjoyed about this film LOL. This film wanted me to suspend belief a little too much. I just had so many questions SMH. How did they flood the bathroom (logistically/physically)? What does it mean when the creature “lights up”? What did Elisa do in that tub with the creature and how’s she know it was retractable? (Elisa gets a side eye for that). So when her friends found out that she “messing around” with the creature they didn’t ask any questions, didn’t have any reservations? So we just supposed to act like that’s normal? And why is Octavia always playing a maid or janitor and the “over the top everyday woman”? Overall, this was a beautiful film that was skillfully executed by all parties involved…it was just too out there for me.

Short people are mean. I never met a short man that stays nice all the way through. No sir. Mean little backstabbers, all of ’em. Maybe it’s the air down there. Not enough oxygen or somethin’.