The Shape of Water Reviews (original) (raw)

Describe it and this sounds completely weird and a bit creepy, like some extremely niche fetish porn with a budget. Watch it and it’s magical; fantastic in all senses. It’s the biggest risk of del Toro’s career and it could not have paid off more.

Ms. Hawkins reminds us how intense silent films could be. She gives the best performance of the year with the most heart-piercing silence you’ve ever seen.

Beautifully made film. Deserved every award it got. Del Toro is amazing at crafting such strange stories.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Not only is The Shape of Water one of del Toro’s most stunningly successful works, it’s also a powerful vision of a creative master feeling totally, joyously free.

A romance of fantastique proportions, a cautionary tale that revels in throwing caution to the wind, and a de facto monster movie with loose but loving ties to director Jack Arnold’s classic "Creature From the Black Lagoon" and Cocteau’s "Beauty and the Beast," del Toro’s latest is a masterpiece of compassion and insight into the (in)human condition and the transformative power of love.

Even if you’re not transported by every minute of the film’s story, though, del Toro creates such a sumptuous visual world that it’s impossible to take your eyes off the screen.

The Shape of Water is brilliant, but sick — or maybe it’s sick, but brilliant. In any case, it’s something to see.

The more I try to find some kind of justifiable meaning and relevance, the more I find The Shape of Water a loopy, lunkheaded load of drivel. Not as stupid and pointless as that other critically overrated piece of junk "Get Out," but determined to go down trying. I call this one "Maudie Meets the Creature From the Black Lagoon."

I love this movie.Sally deserves best leading actress.Best Movie Ever!!!!!!!

In this unusual mesh of fantasy, romance and science fiction, a mute woman working as a lab custodian in the late '60s falls for an abused, captive sea monster. The Shape of Water dons many hats, several at the same time, which distract and compete for attention: that central relationship, the military's plans for the creature, a neighbor's quest to reclaim his job with an ad agency, a coworker's marriage, a supervisor's frustrated home life. Each adds a layer to the onion skin, and color to the world, but ultimately they feel like light diversions from the main course. On a technical level, it's exceptional. Guillermo del Toro's work has never been short on conceptual know-how, and The Shape of Water merely continues his habit of one-upping the preceding film. The beast itself, heavily influenced by The Creature from the Black Lagoon with a hint or two of Abe Sapien from del Toro's Hellboy, looks fantastic. Lifelike and expressive, it's easy to buy into as a thinking, feeling participant in the story. Sally Hawkins is equally wonderful as the human lead, drawing inspiration from dozens of classic silent films in her flourishing role as a mousey, passionate, eloquent young woman. Set designs, too, are distinct and remarkable, from the slimy, clinical confines of the military science lab to her crusty, crumbling apartment right above a busy movie theater. The plot drags, though, and more than once edges awfully close to cliché. I enjoyed it, particularly on a thematic level, but I wish it was about twenty minutes shorter.

In The Shape of Water, director Guillermo del Toro presents a dark fantasy-drama-romance-Cold War spy story set in 1962 Baltimore. The film follows Elisa Esposito, a mute woman who forms a connection with an amphibian creature held in a covert government facility. As Elisa and the creature, called Amphibian Man, develop a close bond, they must navigate the pressures to terminate the creature from both the US and the Soviet government and find a way to set him free. The film explores themes of love, acceptance, trust and inclusivity, but the romance between Elisa and Amphibian Man is rushed and feels flat. The film boasts del Toro's signature visuals and stylistic flair, with a warm vintage atmosphere and stunning underwater scenes. The score by Alexandre Desplat is also noteworthy. The cast, including Sally Hawkins, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer, give strong performances. Overall, while the film has a lot to say, the romance doesn't fully land. ______________________________ En La forma del agua, el director Guillermo del Toro presenta una oscura historia de espionaje de fantasía, drama, romance y Guerra Fría ambientada en 1962 en Baltimore. La película sigue a Elisa Esposito, una mujer muda que establece una conexión con una criatura anfibia retenida en una instalación gubernamental encubierta. A medida que Elisa y la criatura, llamada Hombre Anfibio, desarrollan un estrecho vínculo, deben sortear las presiones para eliminar a la criatura tanto del gobierno de EE. UU. como del gobierno soviético y encontrar una manera de liberarlo. La película explora temas de amor, aceptación, confianza e inclusión, pero el romance entre Elisa y el Hombre Anfibio es apresurado y se siente aburrido. La película cuenta con las características visuales y el estilo estilístico característicos de Del Toro, con una cálida atmósfera vintage e impresionantes escenas submarinas. Destaca también la partitura de Alexandre Desplat. El elenco, que incluye a Sally Hawkins, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg y Octavia Spencer, brinda excelentes actuaciones. En general, aunque la película tiene mucho que decir, el romance no aterriza del todo.

Sinceramente, dejar de idealizar la estética de los 70 y 80 poniéndola superbonita y hacer un guión decente y no algo que parece que lo hayan hecho dos chavales. Estética muy chula y todo lo que quieras, pero el guión es pobre y no se diferencia más alla de la película de ET exceptuando la diferencia de que con ET no mantienen relaciones sexuales. Esta película no es solo aburrida sino que me ha sacado en varias ocasiones de mis casillas.

It was better to not have an academy award this year. No story, No new idea, stereotypical. A terrible year for world of cinema.

Production Company Double Dare You (DDY), Fox Searchlight Pictures, TSG Entertainment

Release Date Dec 1, 2017

Duration 2 h 3 m

Rating TV-MA

Tagline Based on an idea by Daniel Kraus And Guillermo del Toro

Academy Awards, USA

• 4 Wins & 13 Nominations

Golden Globes, USA

• 2 Wins & 7 Nominations

Online Film & Television Association

• 4 Wins & 20 Nominations