Fox Searchlight has released the first trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s latest, The Shape of Water, and it certainly looks like a Guillermo del Toro film. I say that not to talk down about the project as I adore del Toro's visual style and his eye for detail, but I hope the filmmaker simply isn't treading familiar ground here. An original story with a screenplay by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor (Game of Thrones) the story follows a lonely, mute woman named Elisa (Sally Hawkins) who performs janitorial duties for a top-secret government laboratory. Within this mysterious facility a one-of-a-kind inhabitant is trapped and seemingly being tortured by something of a mad scientist/military hyprid as played by Michael Shannon. This inhabitant is not human, of course, because it is played by Doug Jones and is in a Guillermo del Toro picture, but he is more a humanoid creature who lives its life entirely underwater. Through what the lengthy trailer tells us we can discern that Elisa and the creature form something of bond with one another if not a close and intense relationship that sees each of them filling a large void in their life with the presence of the other. It is presented as a sweet, star-crossed love story of sorts within the context of a monster movie. It's something del Toro has done multiple times before with Pan's Labyrinth and Crimson Peak as he uses period pieces and real world events to inform a supernatural fairytale, but while the template may be worn I am certainly optimistic for what mysteries and adventures the director might ultimately bring to the table. And, of course, the film looks like a visual wonder and has an aura that each of del Toro's films possess reassuring us we're in a certain place and time to the extent we somewhat know what to expect, but don't all at the same time. The visionary filmmaker always tends to make movies that are fun to watch if not intriguing on a deeper level as well so despite the outline feeling somewhat familiar I hope there is enough unique stuff going on within this latest effort that will allow it to become its own entity. The Shape of Water also stars Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg, and opens December 8th, 2017.
Synopsis: From master story teller Guillermo del Toro, comes THE SHAPE OF WATER – an other-worldly fairy tale, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1963. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of silence and isolation. Elisa’s life is changed forver when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment. Rounding out the cast are Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg and Doug Jones.
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