Figuring Out The Shape Of Water

Good day my friends! And a Happy Valentines Day to you all wherever you are! Now I know as a single person we are always a little jaded on this day which has become for businesses a big money maker where people are overcharged for things like flowers, chocolates and restaurants. Merchandisers come out with all sorts of things to make a buck and take advantage of those out there buying gifts for that special someone on this day. I guess why we are all a little jaded is that we feel like we are feeling left out and that is not without trying to find someone. I have also heard it is also like that it is like not having someone is being rubbed in your face and taunted unintentionally by those who do! But I am still a firm believer in the spirit of this day and know that there is someone out there for me, just like there is someone out there for you if you don't have anyone yet. Sometimes they are not who or what we expected! Sometimes we just have to go against the things the preconceived notions that society and the media put on us for who we should be with. After all it's up to us right? We know what we want and should not settle for less despite what people tell us! Now I know you are wondering Justin what does this have to do with your latest movie review? Well as always I find a way to tie my lead in with the movie I am reviewing so you are just going to have to keep reading. And to keep you reading I am now going to tell you that this week I am reviewing the movie that got 13 nominations at the Oscars this year, the most for this years awards. That movie is The Shape Of Water a drama/fantasy which stars Sally Hawkins( Blue Jasmine) as Elisa Hawkins, Octavia Spencer( Hidden Figures) as Zelda Fuller, Michael Shannon( Revolutionary Road) as Richard Strickland, Doug Jones( Pan's Labyrinth) as the Amphibian Man, Richard Jenkins(Step Brothers) as Giles and Michael Stuhlbarg(Trumbo) as Dr. Robert Hoffstetler. This movie was also directed by Guillermo del Toro( Hellboy) who also wrote it as well! So let us take a look and see just what all the buzz was for this movie shall we?

The year is 1962 in Baltimore, living above a movie theatre is Elisa Esposito(Hawkins) a young mute woman who was abandoned as a baby with scars on her neck has been mute all her life. A very intelligent person her disability has led to her not having many opportunities in her life both personal and professional. Her only friends are her aging gay artist neighbor Giles(Jenkins) who is her major emotional support and like Elisa Giles is very lonely. His homosexuality complicates both his personal and professional life, the latter being a graphic artist for an advertising company. Before she leaves for work as a night shift janitor at a government facility Elisa always makes sure to make Giles some supper and takes it over to him. They discuss life and movies. The other is her co-worker Zelda(Spencer) a fellow cleaner who always stands up for Elisa and makes sure she gets clocked in on time and often translates her sign language to others at the facility. Things change for Elisa when Colonel Richard Strickland (Shannon) brings in a new "asset" into the facility that he captured in the waters of the Amazon. You see what he found was something quite unique and amazing, a mixed human/amphibious creature that the local natives worshipped as a god and Elisa becomes fascinated by the creature since she first saw it while cleaning the lab it is stored in. She begins taking it hard boiled eggs and playing music to it. She finds that she can communicate with it and the two end up forming a bond with each other. Dr. Robert Hoffstetler who is also a Russian agent (Stulbarg) inadvertantly see's Elisa communicating with the creature and seeing that it is unique does not want to harm it. But when Strickland meets with General Hoyt it is decided that the creature who was originally going to be tested to possibly be sent into space will now be killed and his body dissected. This thrills Strickland who has always wanted kill him since the creature bit two of his fingers off and continued to torture the creature senselessly. Eliza who has fallen in love with the creature decides that she must free him before the government kills him. With the help of her friends and Dr. Hoffstetler they free the creature from the lab and Elisa takes it back to her apartment. There they wait until the rains raise the water in the canal to release him back into the oceans and to freedom. While waiting Elisa and the creatures relationship grow more intimate which makes it harder for her to want to give him up as the day draws closer to release him. What also complicates things is that Strickland is still looking for the creature and is drawing even closer to finding him. Elisa has to balance her feelings on wanting to be with the creature against the greater benefit to him of being set free back into the wilds of the water.

Well this sounds like quite the interesting movie doesn't it? Well I can tell you it was quite the movie that's for sure! This movie was both visually stunning and well written. As well as being a somewhat original story but was a bit like Creature From The Black Lagoon meets Beauty And The Beast. I loved the interesting characters and how they were developed. What I also loved was how Elisa and

the creature who very different physically, he being a sea creature and her being human they still had their similarities that bonded them as both with limited communication skills were both intelligent. I also thought it was very symbolic and a spoiler alert a bit of a foreshadowing with the scars on Elisa's neck that looked like the gills that the creature had on his neck. This movie was able to capture both the nostalgia and the repression of the time frame and had a nice message of loving someone for who they are not what they look like or what they can give you. Some very strong performances put in here by those involved and can see why it has earned so many academy award nominations. A very unique and different type of movie on a blueprint we have seen used before, it really worked here. So if you are looking for something different than what you are used to seeing in the theatre than I recommend this movie. I am giving this movie a 7.9 on The Justin Scale Of Movies and putting it on my Pick –It List of movies to see in the theatre. Well that's a wrap here for my latest movie review my friends. But before I close this up I would like to say that I know it can be a little expensive at times to go to the theatre. And I don't know if there is a cheap discount day like I have here. But I would really like to encourage everyone to go to the theatre if there is something you want to see. Even if you have to go alone don't feel weird about doing it, I go by myself a lot! There are some beautifully made movies out there right now. Go out and support some of the hard working people who helped make these stories we enjoy after all they are doing it for us and don't illegally download after all you wouldn't like that if someone did that to you! Well there you have it! Until next time keep that popcorn freshly popped and save me a good seat because I will be seeing you again at the movies!