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 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)

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)

Carefully, I expected a mysterious fairytale, into which Guillermo del Toro would pour in a smaller amount, in the best case scenario, and a larger amount, in the worst case scenario, of depression, the main character of his Pan's Labyrinth. However, everything is different, and instead, I am getting a retro version of Splash! for eighteen and older narrated by Richard Jenkins. Among the participating actors, Michael Shannon is the one who stands out the most, although he sells his traditionally wild and scruffy face as much as he can, his storyline as an ultra-negative agent falls somewhat deaf due to unsuccessful family/marital scenes. I perceive that the beauty and the beast are given the main focus, surprisingly at the expense of the development of other characters' storylines but still, this thoroughly captivating spectacle is very likable to me in terms of genre. It is narrated innocently and honestly, and does not try to be anything it is not even for a moment. (24/02/2018)

A loose sequel to Guillermo del Toro’s beloved classic Creature from the Black Lagoon with a subtle retro look and a unique and, I’d dare say, beautiful monster. It cannot be compared to Pan’s Labyrinth, as the older movie was more surreal, cruel, sad and less Hollywoodish. The Shape of Water is a charming American genre movie with a simple, even predictable premise, but created with love and with a load of lovely references for movie geeks. "Beauty and the Beast" meets "Romeo & Juliet". A fairy tale for adults in which the heroine no longer reads a fantasy book but masturbates in the bath. Given that it was made by Guillermo, there is a relative lack of of blood and violence. We get to see a black woman, a gay, a Trump-like American general and a secret Russian scientist with his heart in the right place. All decently written and directed, with everything is as it should be, though the runtime is slightly too long. One hundred minutes would have been ideal. (27/09/2017)