La Forme de l'eau

I must admit that I was surprised to learn that this film won 4 Oscars, though I'm just as surprised by the many negative 1 and 2 star reviews that it has received. In terms of ideas and creativity, 'The Shape of Water' is as good as any film I've seen in the last few years. With a storyline as inventive and unique as this one, it makes for a fascinating couple of hours of viewing and, if you like films that take risks and dare to be different, there is a lot to enjoy about it.

For all its ideas and creativity, however, 'The Shape of Water' is lacking in some areas and can make for frustrating viewing at times. The storyline is underdeveloped in areas, particularly towards the end where there are many unanswered questions and the ending itself is a little underwhelming. That said, 'The Shape of Water' deserves credit for injecting fresh ideas into the fantasy romance genre. It might not be worth 4 Oscars, but 'The Shape of Water' is a unique and captivating film.

Sally Hawkins puts in a lovely, sweet, almost sympathetic performance as the central character, it's her delicacy balanced against the harshness of the amphibious man that makes it so interesting.

It's not a film I'd sit through several times over, but I have seen it twice, and was as impressed with my second viewing as the first. It is a beautiful film, with the most glorious soundtrack, a feast for the eyes and ears alike.

I'm sure there was a social message here, it was perhaps over my head, what I saw was a good old fashioned love story, one with a difference, and a load of eggs.

It's sad, moving, funny, it's definitely very, very weird, but if you've seen any of his other movies, then you'll realise the inevitability of that.

It's a unique watch, and a rewarding one, 8/10.

The Shape of Water, the Oscar winning film about an unlikely love between a humanoid amphibian and a mute woman set in the early 1960's. The movie was greatly directed by director and screenwriter Guillermo Del Toro and acted by award winning actress Sally Hawkins with supporting actress Octavia Spencer. The movie is full of hope and desire as the lead characters explore love in a unique way that is different and unnatural. The movie will have you shed tears, in suspense, and thrilled by shocking twists and events.

"Unable to perceive the shape of you, I find you all around me / Your presence fills my eyes with your love, It humbles my heart, For you are everywhere." -Giles, The Shape of Water

First off, I will say, this movie is not for kids. There are some sex and violence scenes that surprised me, but did add to the story. I found the story enthralling and endearing, along the lines of ET. You'll love some of the characters and absolutely despise others (specifically one). It's a story of innocence and of love. I highly recommend it.

It's a time when being different was discouraged, by how you looked, by how you hooked, by how you foraged, in a world of prejudice, the overwhelming emphasis, was to align, to toe the line, to be acknowledged. Elisa's mute, but she still has things to say, using Zelda as a surrogate airway, together they both clean, where there's things that go unseen, behind one doorway there's a place she likes to stay. In this place something's imprisoned and interned, Elisa shows it love, the tides begin to turn, a connection has been made, it's time to escape and evade, logistically that causes some concern.

Sally Hawkins is as spectacular as ever in an imaginative tale that reflects a world of the past, but not forgotten or disappeared (sadly).