Oscars Countdown: 'The Shape of Water'

Sometimes, the logic is simple. If it looks, sounds, and smells like a Best Picture nominee, it probably is one. And The Shape of Water has Best Picture written all over it. It’s not one of the more pretentious cases of “Oscar Bait,” which is always appreciated, but it is Oscar Bait, nonetheless. The film’s award results have been sporadic and, regardless of its success, I can’t say I enjoyed it all that much. For a concept that lends itself to some very different storytelling, the way the second half plays out is surprisingly straightforward, and I don’t think people watch The Shape of Water preparing to see something conventional. With that said, it is a wildly impressive movie that’s still a medium delight to any fans of this wonderful director.

A Beautiful Movie

Saying Guillermo del Toro made a beautiful movie isn’t much of a hot take, but he did, so I’ll talk about it. From the literal first shot to the literal last, del Toro makes the most of his latest film’s watery aesthetic. We’ve seen a classy recreation of the American 1960s time and time again, but none felt quite like this. Once again blending fantasy with reality in a way that betrays neither, del Toro’s fingerprints are all over Shape of Water. It’s the most technically impressive Best Picture candidate by a healthy margin. I specify Best Picture candidates because that answer is otherwise Blade Runner 2049 by an equally wide margin. But that’s a lengthy rant for another day.

Speaking Less, Saying More

Don’t care about directing? This is an odd film to read reviews on if you don’t. But Sally Hawkins is an almost equally impressive component in the grand scheme of The Shape of Water’s development. She delivers a powerful lead performance that’d elevate any film to a more emotionally gripping level, and she does so without saying a word…for the most part. There’s a brief exception that’s less ridiculous than it probably should be. But her ability to feel, emote, and even yell while maintaining complete silence is a joy to watch, and I suppose she makes the interspecies relationship about as believable as it could reasonably be. The love angle hits and misses, which is no fault of Hawkins or the incomparable Doug Jones, at times resembling an outright Beauty and the Beast impression. I guess there are worse stories to imitate.

A Steady Decilne

The film’s first half provides a deep, intimate look at a slate of characters whose only common trait is being uncommon in some way. It’s a simple theme, but it works because the presentation is so stylistically appealing. They struggle with the many prejudices of this fictitious take on real cruelty. As a result, the oppressors present throughout the plot seem more like cartoon villains than real people. The protagonists benefit from this very blunt adversity as characters, but the story suffers as a whole. Then the second half goes spelunking into the realm of cheesy, complete with romantic clichés and bizarrely handled problems. It’s as if The Shape of Water was built on a strong premise, and someone said, “once they escape the lab…we’ll figure something out.”

The Verdict

The Shape of Water is as cinematically complicated as it is narratively simple. That might be the perfect combination for some viewers. Guillermo del Toro’s storytelling is less nuanced than his own standard, and I’m certain some high expectations affected my overall appreciation of the film. 13 Oscar nominations is a no-surprise total, given the amount of technical splendor throughout the runtime. In the grand scheme of things, I wouldn’t vote for this Best Picture candidate, but I won’t complain too much if it won. Besides, another speech from Guillermo means we all win.