While Sally Hawkins, Richard Jenkins (honestly, the highlight of the film for me), and Octavia Spencer completely deserve their nominations for both the Golden Globes and the Oscars, I’m saddened to see that Doug Jones once again hasn’t been nominated for anything.
Who’s Doug Jones? That’s exactly the problem. Jones plays Amphibian Man – the love interest in this story. While the idea that a woman and a sea monster could fall in love seems ludicrous, it’s Jones’ portrayal that makes it seem a little more feasible. I read this fascinating article about Doug Jones a couple months back and I recommend that everyone check it out. As the title implies, he’s the biggest movie star you’ve never heard of, with over 150 credits to his name.
The Shape of Water puts him on a more even footing than movies he’s been in in the past – this time his counterpart also doesn’t have a speaking role. It’s an interesting dynamic for a love story; two people who can’t really communicate, yet fall for each other anyway. It’s the ultimate love story. It’s all about that feeling that tells you that someone is the person (or sea monster) for you.
Sally Hawkins is the perfect choice for Elisa, and she barely says a word. She manages to convey more in one look than I could by blabbering on for five minutes. But it’s the ensemble of this movie that makes it so perfect. Whoever did the casting should get all the awards. Michael Shannon is such a gross, despicable villain; every time he comes on screen you want to squirm away. As I mentioned earlier, Richard Jenkins is flawless. He’s bumbling, nervous, and much too worried about his hair, but his friendship with Elisa is so endearing. Plus, he’s a cat person and I respect that. Octavia Spencer as Zelda is a great counterpart to Elisa’s quiet, calm demeanor. She’s spunky and prickly and Spencer plays that perfectly.
I don’t think anyone else but Guillermo del Toro could have made this movie. Despite the fact that “forbidden love” is a story told in almost every way possible, this telling of it done by others could have just be labeled as overtly odd and been overlooked rather than oversaturated with awards. Somehow he manages to make it special, and fantastical with this juxtaposition of ethereal water shots and the grit and grime of life as a worker in a high-security government laboratory in the 60s. It’s an unlikely setting for a love story, but it works. This is not to say that it’s perfect, but it’s beautiful, and I hope it wins for best picture.
Take that with a grain of salt, since this is coming from someone who has only seen Get Out and The Shape of Water in terms of Best Picture contenders. And I honestly can’t think of two more vastly different movies.
