One of the things with Guillermo del Toro's works that has always appealed to me is that quite often they feel like gothic-fairytales. Both in tone and particularly in the visual style. The Shape of Water continues that trend, only completely ditching the gothic aspect in favor of going full-on storybook mode on us. Right from the get go it feels like a Disney princess movie. Just one that is made for the adults who grew up on them instead of the youngsters. Make no mistake, the maturity level of this movie makes it far less family-friendly than anything Walt ever gave us. However, it is no less heartwarming. Yes, the species difference between the two lovers does make for a rather bizarro love story. Yet none of the emotional resonance is lost in the face of this girl-meets-monster setup. There is a scene in the movie where protagonist Elisa describes why she wants to be with/save her aquatic beau that honestly had me on the verge of tears. In that moment actress Sally Hawkins pours her heart out, makes us feel her pain, and gives a speech about how she has found the love we all hope for and that everyone deserves. And she does it without words. Someone tell Duncan Jones that this is how you portray mute individuals. Hawkins performance is astounding. Every facial expression is meaningful. She is able tell us everything we need to know with but a simple look. The heart, soul, and touching power of the material would not have been able to flow without her. On top of being a remarkable romance and period piece, del Toro has also made The Shape of Water to be a slice of Hollywood nostalgia as well. The amount of throwbacks to classics and the feeling of being from a bygone era of film is sure to provide a kick to those longtime cinema enthusiasts or just those who have experimented more out of this current time period when watching movies. I wonder though if this is what caused Water's only flaw. That being it is a little too predictable. You basically know how the events are going to play out as they are transpiring. A slight disappointment, but it ultimately does almost nothing to hurt what is one of the most gorgeous, touching, and romantic films I have ever seen. It is the perfect example of the kind of warmth I wish to find in my own life and del Toro has outdone himself as a director.