The Shape of Water-Unlike any love story you'll see all year.

  Guillermo del Toro's THE SHAPE OF WATER is unlike any love story you are likely to see anytime soon. If I told you that it's a love story between a mute woman and a male Amphibian, you're more than likely to laugh in my face and say that sounds ridiculous. Then again, so is the Fifty Shade of Grey films.
  There is much to say about this beautiful and thrilling story. The positive outweigh the negative by far, making this one of the best films I've seen in 2017. First, the performances. Sally Hawkins plays Elisa Esposito. She is a mute who has scars on each side of her neck, almost like gills, that alludes to a painful and abusive past. She is a delicate, yet at times, fierce young woman. Her boldness compensates for her lack of vocal communication. She obviously communicates with sign language. Her actions speak louder than words.
  Michael Shannon gives a truly creepy, villainous performance that also gives us an understanding to his way of thinking, however twisted it can be.
 Richard Jenkins gives a wonderful performance as Elisa's room-mate. He is an artist for food products, such as JELL-O. There is more to this man. He has a distant, secret attraction for the waiter at the local diner. He desires to reveal his true feelings but the ramifications of doing that lurk at every turn.
 Octavia Spencer plays Elisa's best friend in the workplace. They work in a Science facility as cleaning ladies. Spencer gives voice to Elisa while in the workplace and does her best to steer her away from trouble. That proves to be an impossible task for her.
 Also contributing outstanding supporting work is Michael Struhlbarg as a scientist who withholds a secret, and Doug Jones as the Amphibian Man. His performance evokes rage and passion.
 To The technical side of the film, del Toro creates a world set in the past (the 50's) yet also one that has a foothold in the future. His film is beautiful, bold, thrilling yet quirky to a point of distraction. More on this in a moment.
  Music Composer Alexander Despalt creates a score that enhances all the aspects
that I've pointed out there. His score is a memorable one.
There is more I could say about this film that is positive, but I must also convey two negative aspects as well. The film has a sexual presence that can be subtle and other times, in your face. There was just enough to make me feel slightly uncomfortable. There is also a quirky side that the film possess that comes of as weird and hokey.
Despite these two flaws, THE SHAPE OF WATER is a film about unlikely people coming together in  a dark, sinister world, to show the power of love and compassion.
 I give THE SHAPE OF WATER an A.