No. 91 The Shape of Water (2017) 74/100

 

I saved my rewatch of this film to the end of my quest as it was my favourite Michael Shannon project going in. Having now watched 90 other Shannon productions it still retains the crown. It’s just such a wonderful, mesmerising and immersive experience.

The film opens with some narration and a description of “a monster who wanted to destroy it all” – and you know they aren’t talking about the guy with the gills! Sally Hawkins excels as Elisa, a mute cleaner who lives a lonely and routine life. We see her daily rituals of getting up, having a good time in her bath before making lunch for herself and her gay artist neighbour, Giles.

 

Elisa cleans at a secret marine research facility which is run by Michael Stuhlbarg but overseen by security chief Strickland, in a never bettered showing by Mr Shannon. Elisa and her co-worker Octavia Spencer encounter Strickland as he has a piss and he explains to them his handwashing regimen. Shortly thereafter they see him in a corridor bleeding profusely and missing some fingers. They are tasked with clearing the research area and Elisa finds the severed digits which are later attached to Shannon, unsuccessfully.

 

Elisa takes an interest in ‘the asset’ a sea creature captured in South America which looks a lot like ‘The Creature From the Black Lagoon’. By feeding the creature eggs and by teaching it sign language the pair soon connect. Meanwhile Giles is trying to make friends with the man from the pie shop, quite the dangerous endeavour in early 60’s New York.

 

We also learn that Stuhlbarg’s character Dr Hoffstetler is actually a Russian spy, whose handlers are also keen on the creature, as its breathing systems may assist with the space race. They either want the creature or want to deny the Americans the secrets it holds.

 

Strickland, whose rotting fingers are symptomatic of his own mental decline gets an agreement from the General to dissect the creature and Dr Hoffstetler gets orders to kill it. Getting wind of this Elisa enlists her friends to steal the creature and get it back to her apartment where she hopes to free it once the coming rains make the channel to the sea deep enough. Will the creature escape and how will the various characters resolve their own issues?

 

This is such a lovely film to look at and to experience in general. The sets and costumes of early 60’s New York are fabulous and there’s not a bad performance on show. I liked Richard Jenkins, the dad from ‘6 Feet Under’, as the repressed artist and Octavia Spencer was good too as the helpful colleague. It was no mistake that a gay and a black character did a lot of the heavy lifting for Elisa who couldn’t speak for herself.

 

Stuhlbarg gave his usual top drawer performance and it was good to see him go toe to toe with Shannon in a ‘Boardwalk Empire’ reunion. Shannon was excellent throughout as the slowly decaying spook who, despite a seeming idyllic homelife, sought his pleasures through candy and a new car that gets hilariously bashed up after one drive. He was like a latter day Van Alden with a few vices on show – I liked him telling his wife to be quiet during sex as he was clearly fixated on the mute Elisa.

 

Shannon missed out on an Oscar nomination here, having had his turn the year before for ‘Nocturnal Animals’ which, to my mind at least, was a lesser offering. Richard Jenkins did get a nod however but lost out to Sam Rockwell. Sally Hawkins, who was excellent despite having almost no lines, also lost out to Frances McDormand who was in ‘3 Billboards’ with Rockwell. This film did however earn Best Picture and Best Director Oscars, which were well deserved.

 

If you haven’t seen this one you are in for a treat – who can’t like a naked woman getting frisky with an amphibious man whist another plucks dead fingers from his hand?

 

When is Shannon-On? – 10.40

Outcome?  Dead

Film 5/5

Shannon Stars 5/5