Now naturally this is my favorite song of theirs; not because I never get any love in the club like Ice Cube but because I grew up a decade too soon. And this is important because anyone who has ever read any of my reviews knows that due to the transcendent acting skills of the Cinemax softcore porn queen Shannon Tweed, I have an affinity for white blonde girls with big boobs; it’s just a part of my DNA now. But growing up in the 90’s and in Texas, it was still a little taboo for a black man and a white woman to hook up. I mean, you could do so on the down low but when it came time to finally meet the parents, you would always hear that slow gospel music playing in the background while walking up to a house in the country that had a burning cross and dudes in white sheets standing in front of it. That’s why I never felt sorry for Ben Stiller in that stupid movie of his, if he thought Bobby Deniro lost his cool over him losing his cat while it was in his possession, then there’s no way he could handle how Jethro Tull felt after he saw his daughter lose her virginity while it was in my possession! I must admit though that I wanted to Crypt Walk every time I saw their faces. "That’s right son! Pay back for slavery!" And yes, I know that Jethro Tull is British but it’s such a country name that works here. And no, I don’t really think I own a girl’s virginity, these are just jokes…for the most part.
What was really sad was the fact that no matter how much we loved each other, her parents never saw me as an actual human being. Oh, if I was holding a football for their favorite team or working for their construction company while going home to my Black girlfriend, then everything was fine but once I crossed the proverbial line, so to speak, all bets were off!
Well this speaks to why I and anyone who has ever felt rejected by humanity can connect with Guillermo’s del Toro’s The Shape of Water. In it you meet Elisa Esposito, who was played by the wonderful Sally Hawkins in an Oscar worthy performance. Elisa is a mute janitor who works in a secret government facility. For the most part she goes unnoticed by most of society with the exception of her neighbor and in the closet gay friend Giles (Richard Jenkins) and her coworker and de facto translator Zelda (Octavia Spencer). Every day she goes through the same boring routine finding simple pleasures where she can in musicals, daydreams, or early morning masturbation (you’re sold now, right?). She seemingly has accepted the fact that she will never be seen as normal but strives to help her neighbor Giles finally achieve his dreams and become comfortable in who he is. Life is just hard for them and Zelda as they live in the middle of Cold War America where if the color of your shoes are too red you could be brought up on charges, let alone date someone of the same gender or of a different race or even species. Species, you ask?
Yes, one day the overly ambitious bully Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon) brings into Elisa’s secret lab a mysterious amphibian man who is instantly classified as dangerous. Is it a potential weapon or is it simply a scientific experiment? Either way, this thing must be kept from the public until they know what to do with it. Well little did Strickland know that Elisa would be the one to finally strike a connection with the creature while cleaning the lab at night. And in doing so, she finds out that he can not only communicate but is also able to express humanlike emotion. She finally has found someone who sees her for who she really is! This not only lights a fire in her but once again gives her hope for what life has in store for her. The problem lies in Strickland, will he destroy the Amphibian Man or even her if he finds out about the two of them?
Now I know this sounds like an odd children’s story gone awry, and to a certain extent it is as that’s del Toro’s MO, but this love story is a metaphor for humanity’s struggle to overcome societal norms. We all have to fight to become comfortable with the things that make us unique in life and we will always face someone or something that wants to destroy or get rid of anything it doesn’t understand. Are there some scenes that will make you uncomfortable? Well yes, but that’s the point as del Toro wants you to force yourself to get past what you consider normal and open your mind to new possibilities. He just goes to what can be considered extremes by using another species. True love can be found in many forms and in the process can make you and those around you better people.
I really liked this odd film and I think you will too! I give it a rating of FRESH!
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