Over the past two weeks, I saw two vastly different films; both excellent and also bizarre: one based in realism, the other, pure sci-fi fantasy.
The Square is a Swedish film, written and directed by Ruben Östlund, in English, in
Swedish and Danish, subtitles where necessary. It is a send-up on the pretentiousness of running a public modern art museum. The subject is an installation called The Square, which we see being installed in the museum's open entry-way. A press-conference is held at its opening where the artist is questioned about what it is supposed to mean. Claes Bang plays Christian, the museum's pressured curator; a divorced, middle-aged, father of two pre-teens. He is interviewed by Anne, an American art magazine critic excellently played by Elizabeth Moss. Anne comes off as clueless in all aspects of the medium. Clearly smitten by him, awed by his influence and position, they end up in a one-night stand (There's a quirky bit in the scene involving the used condom). Watching the scenes between Christian and Anne, one cannot help but reflect on the current #MeToo movement. Some street scenes portray the homeless with some interaction between Christian and an aggressive woman. Östland allows her a sense of dignity and the ability to hold her own.
At the outset, somehow Christian's phone and wallet get ripped off. His efforts to reclaim them constitutes a subplot that involves inconsequential yet overt racism. Hints of a shocking, disastrous event which will occur at a posh, member/donor fundraising dinner are foreshadowed by a few-seconds glimpse between scenes of a video-installation of a scowling, gibberish-spouting, shirtless man (the excellent gymnast, choreographer Terry Notary: Cirque de Soliel, Planet of the Apes franchise, etc), that had diners cowering- powerless-either running in fear or hiding under the tables.
Filmed in Sweden and Germany.
 |
| Artist's sketch of Elisa with Amphibious man |
Guillermo del Toro makes gorgeous films. The Shape of Water is no exception. It is basically a 1960s sci-fi film like "Swamp Thing" and "Creature From the Black Lagoon," influenced by Japanese sci-fi films of that era. There's Russian secret agents (one a scientist) US military and secret service actions, working on developing secret weapons. The Shape of Water is also a beautiful, heart-tugging love story.
An amphibious, almost human monster is discovered by American scientists, in a remote jungle river. In cahoots with the military, the scientists house their find- known as The
Asset- in a swamp-like tank in a huge secret, scientific facility in order to study the creature, and eventually kill and dissect it to discover the secrets of its powers.
Still, the busy, massive facility must be cleaned. Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer play cleaning women, Elisa Esposito and Zelda Fuller, who are invisible to the staff.
 |
| Sally Hawkins as Elisa left; Octavia Spencer as Zelda, right |
Michael Shannon plays Richard Strickland, an NSA operative charged with overseeing the scientific studies and eventual demise of the amphibious man. Shannon's visage and physicality is ideal for portraying evil-villains, and as Strickland, he surpasses anything he's done before. Evil devolving into bat-shit crazy. When things don't go his way he cracks hard candy between his massive teeth while extolling the virtues of his favorite snack, prior to a kill.
The always great character actor Richard Jenkins is Giles, Elisa's across-the-hall neighbor and confidante, with whom she has a cozy, close relationship. Giles is a closeted gay, commercial artist whose work is considered passé.
 |
| Richard Jenkins as Giles with Hawkins as Elisa |
 |
| Michael Shannon and Michael Stulbarge |
Elisa discovers the amphibious man during her rounds and entices him to communicate with her through sign language. When she learns of his fate, she gets Zelda and Giles to help free him. Dr Hoffstetler, an undercover Russian scientist/spy(Michael Stulhbarge), who works on the project, knows his cover is about to be blown gets involved in Elisa's plot. The machinations of how this is pulled off is worthy of the best of all spy intrigue films from noir to Bond.
 |
| Creators of The Asset's (Doug Jones) Costume |
I cannot conclude this review without talking about Doug Jones, The Asset, and his beautiful, superlative costume whose creators deserve a special award: creature designer Mike Hill, Legacy Effects Supervisor and co-creature designer Shane Mahan, and visual effects supervisor Dennis Berardi, of visual effects house Mr. X. "The Asset was a towering figure, a fish-man with luminous skin, a sharp
spine, gills and shimmering scales who was meant to intimidate" until his attachment to Elisa softens him. (from:
‘Shape Of Water’ BTL Artists On Creating The Asset: Creature & Leading Man' by Matt Grobar, January 2018. For more, Go to the web site.) Jones had studied mime, and is also a contortionist. His other films include del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth"; "Hellboy." and
others.
 |
| Doug Jones |
The Shape of Water has won for Best Picture at the Critics' Circle Awards, and Golden Globes awarded Guillermo del Toro Best Director for the film.
No comments:
Post a Comment