The shape of water review

[Westside Steve]

The shape of water
Fox Searchlight
R.                     119 min

Guillermo del Toro isn’t somebody I would call one of the world’s great directors but that’s only because he’s done too many second-rate films. I get it, everybody has to pay bills but in his defense the guy is responsible for some pretty incredible work remember PAN’S LABYRINTH? Now just as mesmerizing comes THE SHAPE OF WATER one of the most original films of the year oh, and the best. It’s funny because I used the term original but as I watch the film I saw elements of a lot of other films including FRANKENSTEIN, the CREATURE FROM the BLACK LAGOON, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and even FREE WILLY. That might sound a little bit ridiculous but once you see the film and are as impressed by it as I was you’ll understand. I’ll give you some hints without really giving up the entire story. It’s like Frankenstein because there is a misunderstood creature feared and hated by many. It’s a bit like the Creature because the creature in this film owes a great deal of his look to the original Gill man from the famous Lagoon. Sally Hawkins is Elizabeth, a mute cleaning woman in a research facility in Baltimore Maryland which just happens to house a spectacular find, an amphibious creature held captive by research people and the military. One of the brilliant hooks is that she can’t speak and neither can he  but  the friendship  speaks louder than words . One of his captors is Strickland (Michael Shannon) one of the most reprehensible characters you will see this year. Even though this creature is certainly an advanced race with powers above and beyond our own Strickland and the Army plan to kill him to keep the Russians from getting their hands on it. And Free Willy because, oh come on you get it. 
Like I say these days everybody and his brother has a computer and a few hundred bucks can slap together some impressive Graphics but this is really out of the ordinary. A gritty and surreal early 60s look that never actually wears thin. With a satisfying ending this is definitely del Toro’s best work since Labyrinth.
A
WSS
 

[The Gipper]

B+  or A- for me.   It won the Oscar and that is OK....mainly because I so no other movie that for me was a slam dunk for the award.  

Just one note:  I saw it recently and watched some of the extras.....and very little of the creature itself was CG.   they said the only thing that was CG was the upper head movements.....because the guy in the costume could only move his mouth.  His eyes and forehead expressions though had to be CGed in  because of those costume restrictions.  

Also...in the extras on the video....they said exactly what you did.  Del Toro stated specifically that Frankenstein, Beauty and the Beast and Creature from the Black Lagoon were films that inspired this one in terms of story, character, setting etc.    He didn't mention Free Willy....but it is absolutely an apt comparison basically.

[jbluhm86]

On 1/6/2018 at 1:50 PM, Westside Steve said:

The shape of water
Fox Searchlight
R.                     119 min

Guillermo del Toro isn’t somebody I would call one of the world’s great directors but that’s only because he’s done too many second-rate films. I get it, everybody has to pay bills but in his defense the guy is responsible for some pretty incredible work remember PAN’S LABYRINTH? Now just as mesmerizing comes THE SHAPE OF WATER one of the most original films of the year oh, and the best. It’s funny because I used the term original but as I watch the film I saw elements of a lot of other films including FRANKENSTEIN, the CREATURE FROM the BLACK LAGOON, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and even FREE WILLY. That might sound a little bit ridiculous but once you see the film and are as impressed by it as I was you’ll understand. I’ll give you some hints without really giving up the entire story. It’s like Frankenstein because there is a misunderstood creature feared and hated by many. It’s a bit like the Creature because the creature in this film owes a great deal of his look to the original Gill man from the famous Lagoon. Sally Hawkins is Elizabeth, a mute cleaning woman in a research facility in Baltimore Maryland which just happens to house a spectacular find, an amphibious creature held captive by research people and the military. One of the brilliant hooks is that she can’t speak and neither can he  but  the friendship  speaks louder than words . One of his captors is Strickland (Michael Shannon) one of the most reprehensible characters you will see this year. Even though this creature is certainly an advanced race with powers above and beyond our own Strickland and the Army plan to kill him to keep the Russians from getting their hands on it. And Free Willy because, oh come on you get it. 
Like I say these days everybody and his brother has a computer and a few hundred bucks can slap together some impressive Graphics but this is really out of the ordinary. A gritty and surreal early 60s look that never actually wears thin. With a satisfying ending this is definitely del Toro’s best work since Labyrinth.
A
WSS
 

Well that's one way of phrasing that (I think you know what scene i'm referring to). 

[Westside Steve]

20 hours ago, jbluhm86 said:

Well that's one way of phrasing that (I think you know what scene i'm referring to). 

WSS

[The Cysko Kid]

I actually liked grinding Nemo...er...the shape of water, that is. 

[jbluhm86]

21 hours ago, The Cysko Kid said:

I actually liked grinding Nemo...er...the shape of water, that is. 

Someone is a Ben Shapiro fan, perhaps?

[The Cysko Kid]

Actually my wife picked that up somewhere. I had a good laugh. 

[JPPT1974]

Either he has not directed a lot of first rate films due to not giving the chance or that he prefers Independent films over mainstream.

[Westside Steve]

27 minutes ago, JPPT1974 said:

Either he has not directed a lot of first rate films due to not giving the chance or that he prefers Independent films over mainstream.

I have no doubt it's the latter. Did you see Pan's Labyrinth? Pretty stunning. Yes and I know there's a lot of crap littered amongst the filmography but...

WSS