Last night was movie night again with Venetia and Raul. This has been a Wednesday night thing for them for a long time, and I’m happy they’ve now included me. I’m not a lifelong movie lover, and when I do go it’s usually because a friend has invited me — thanks to you too, Grace!

The Shape of Water won four Oscars, including Best Picture.

It’s a fantasy about a marine creature that is brought to a top-secret government laboratory in 1962. It is befriended by a lonely young woman, who eventually teams up with a few friends to save it from a nasty fate. Along the way, there is lots of emotional exploration, and a quiet humour that I enjoyed.

The firm is beautifully staged, evoking the times through noire sets, nasty villains and sharp social commentary. The underlying theme of acceptance of “other” is a lesson for today as well as the sixties.

My friends liked this movie more than I did. Despite all its great qualities, I found it dragged. I was quite bored a couple of times, and all in all I think it could have been better told in an hour. But I did love the sea creature!