I just saw The Shape of Water. The movie was directed by Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) and the screenplay was co-written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor. This film is not for everyone. It was especially not for my movie companion who complained, “This is not realistic.”

Set in Baltimore in 1960’s, the story is about a mute woman janitor who falls in love with a sentient, communicative, merman-type of sea creature in a top secret military research lab. So, nope–not realistic. In fact, it is a movie seeped in magical realism with some of the magic not making a lot of sense. So maybe that’s what my companion meant, that the magic is not realistic. What constitutes realistic magic? I’m not sure. Regardless, I was willing to suspend my disbelief and roll with the story.

In August 2017, the film won best in competition at the Venice International Film Festival. I can see why. As a director, del Toro brings out the very best performances of some wonderful actors. Sally Hawkins plays the main character, Elisa Esposito who can’t speak, but is not deaf. Her facial expressions convey volumes and her signing, although minimal, is gorgeous. Michael Shannon plays an over the top, despicable villain. The portrayal is almost cartoonish in intensity, but somehow it works. Richard Jenkins (gay commercial artist) and Ocatavia Spencer (janitor co-worker) both deliver solid performances.

What I found fascinating was the set for the apartment where some of the movie takes place. The captivating dreamlike opening scene of the film felt otherworldly, a vision in blues and grays, instantly setting a surreal tone. I wish I could have taken a frame-by-frame look at each room and its contents.

I felt happy enough with the plot. Viewers never forgot that the movie is set during the Cold War. The prime concern among the military personnel in the lab is to keep ahead of the Soviets in the space race. Inexplicably, they are convinced that one way to do so is by vivisecting the amphibian humanoid. That nefarious plan creates most of the narrative tension in the story.

I loved the cinematography—lots of interesting visual weirdness. I liked the non-cheesy merman costume, which allowed for plenty of wonderful expressions on the face of Mr. Amphibian.

My main complaint is that the movie did not have to be so graphically violent. Instead of the in-your-face images, I would have appreciated a more nuanced approach. Spoiler alert: there is at least one scene that elicited groans from the audience and will be tough on pet owners.

As we left the theater, my disgruntled companion muttered, “We could have gone to The Darkest Hour.” Some of you might wind up feeling the same way. However, I’m glad I saw the film and will be thinking it for quite a while.