The Shape of Water

Del Toro is on his best ever form. He has turned the story of the origin of Abe Sapien to an Oscar-winning picture that plays with the rules of the genre. Sally Hawkins is fantastic and convincingly falls in love with the creature from the black lagoon. We even get some full-frontals. The perfect, period socio-political commentary (he even dares to claim that some Communists can be good) is slightly disrupted by gay/feminist offerings that somewhat divert from the story. The stylization, the music, the make-up… just perfect. A fairytale for adults in the very best sense. (17/02/2018)

A great fairy tale with a deliberately B-movie story, but with its message and how it caresses on the soul, it trumps films that are more ambitious. Sally Hawkins is magical in the lead role, and Michael Shannon has created such a hideously entertaining story that I think it should belong to film history - his ambitious maniac is an example of someone completely unique in recent times. Del Toro's precise directing and Desplat's music, whose main motif you want to constantly whistle during the film, wraps it all into a beautiful experience that was seriously worth waiting for, although it premiered more than two months ago across the pond. (14/02/2018)

Set design great, nicely shot, a beautiful creature... and then there’s the rest of it. Messy and flaccid, of questionable artistic value, quietly loud, stereotypical – like it's all set in some artificial town full of robots playing humans. And yet they are all completely horny. I don't understand the Oscars (except for the sets), but neither do a lot of other people, so it's okay. 50%. (18/03/2018)

A stylishly magnificent tribute to old trash films, the beautifully captured atmosphere of the late 50s and 60s, an unconventional romance that grabs your heart, and a great performance by Sally Hawkins in the lead role. I have so far considered her a decent comedic actress, but what she showcased in this film has catapulted her very high in all aspects of character acting. Personally, I appreciate Guillermo del Toro's artistic playfulness, which reminds me of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's earlier works. Then there's the game with details, which you will probably fully grasp only upon repeated viewing. With this film, my poor knowledge of English came back to haunt me because many details escaped me. I wanted to know why the Golden Globes were awarded to the film, and now I know that they are in the best hands. So far, the rating on FilmBooster seems too low to me, the film probably hasn't yet found its target audience. Thank you, Guillermo, for the industrial charm of old times. Overall impression: 90%. (01/01/2018)

A beautiful cinematic caress that delighted me both with a beautifully told sci-fi story from a time when there was no need to overwhelm the viewer with special effects, and with a creative stylistic hand that manages to upgrade the story effortlessly to the demands of modern audiences. Weak on the emotions and with a slightly overwrought script, but excellent actors and top-notch direction referring to the film formulas of the fifties. (15/02/2018)