My Own Little World

Weird, quirky movies are my jam sometimes. There’s something about them that just get to me. Maybe it’s because I find them to have a little extra creativity required, or maybe it’s because I identify with their outlying nature compared to the mainstream – whatever it is, I like them. Guillermo del Toro’s latest, The Shape of Water , definitely falls into that category. It’s got a fish man, a mute woman, and a romance between the two. As if that weren’t enough, the film also takes place during the Cold War, a setting that amplifies its themes quite a bit. Basically, it is the definition of strange, and it’s also an incredibly rich theatrical experience. I’m not terribly familiar with del Toro’s previous work (I’ve watched maybe a third of Crimson Peak ), but I feel like that doesn’t disqualify me for being absolutely enthralled with his direction of this film. Every visual aspect of this fits together marvelously, especially the set and creature design and the color palette....

Generally, I go into some elaborate introduction about how I go into a film and what I expect from the people in front and behind the camera. However, I don't really have a whole lot of thoughts of that variety, so I'm just going to give you my thoughts in a nutshell. Hidden Figures is a perfectly fine film. It's not perfect, it's not incredibly artistic, and it's not an instant classic. But if there's one thing you can be sure of, it's that you will enjoy Hidden Figures  more likely than not. Most of this is due to the film's tone. Hidden Figures  has a very positive, uplifting, inspirational tone that instantly attracts and allows the viewer to very easily buy into the story the film is trying to tell. This is a rarity among good films these days, with the majority of audiences seeing darker tone as emotional complexity and depth. I actually completely disagree with this, despite my preference for darker films, so I greatly appreciate Hidden Fi...