'Shape of Water' Early Reviews Call It Guillermo Del Toro's Masterpiece
Shape of Water Early Reviews Call It Guillermo Del Toro's Masterpiece
— September 1st, 2017
Director Guillermo Del Toro has always been a filmmaker that a great many people love, but it feels like he hasn't ever put every piece of the puzzle together in order to get him the awards season love he deserves. Until now. His latest movie, The Shape of Water, recently screened for the first time and critics are praising it as a total masterpiece.
The Shape of Water premiered at Venice recently and everyone who has seen it seems to love it. Even though only a small number of critics have reviewed the movie, it looks like this could be one of the movies that the Academy will be paying some attention to later this year. Currently, with 16 reviews counted, the movie has a 100 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Here's what The Hollywood Reporter had to say about the movie.
"Centered on an exquisite performance from Sally Hawkins that conveys both delicacy and strength, this is a visually and emotionally ravishing fantasy that should find a welcome embrace from audiences starved for imaginative escape."
The Shape of Water, which takes place during the Cold War, follows Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a lonely mute woman who works in the hidden high-security government laboratory as a janitor. She is trapped in a life of silence and isolation. Elisa's life is changed forever when she and a co-worker discover a secret classified experiment; a strange fishman (Doug Jones) that the government is keeping locked up and intends to experiment on. Elisa eventually forms a bond with the creature which leads to a conflict as the people she works for are not as concerned with this creature's well-being as she is. The Playlist had nothing but great things to say about the movie in their review.
"The greatest showcase for del Toro's mercurial, dark-tinged but delightful sensibilities, and his best film since Pan's Labyrinth. There is unmistakable, idiosyncratic care poured into every frame of The Shape of Water, saturated with del Toro's offbeat compassion and looping, pattern-recognition intelligence."
Virtually everyone who has seen the movie so far is praising Guillermo Del Toro's vision. But there is also a lot of love for many of the performances in this movie. Specifically, Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer and Doug Jones. Not to mention that Michael Shannon is also in The Shape of Water as well. As far as The Daily Beast is concerned, you'll feel lucky to have seen this movie.
Related: Will The Shape of Water Sweep the 2018 Oscars?
"[I]t's a film that makes you feel a lot. But overridingly you feel lucky, lucky to be watching it, lucky that something so sincerely sweet, sorrowfully scary and surpassingly strange can exist in this un-wonderful world, and desirous of hanging on to as much of its magic for as long as you can after you re-emerge back onto dry land."
Fox has given The Shape of Water an awards-friendly release date of December 8, 2017. Guillermo Del Toro is keeping his schedule clear so that he can be available for the awards season run, so it looks like the studio has high hopes for this one. Based on the early reactions, it looks like Del Toro may be taking home a few statues for this one and it is something movie fans should definitely have on their radar.
Topics: The Shape of Water
Writer of various things on the internet (mostly about movies) since 2013. Major lover of popcorn flicks. Avid appreciator of James Bond, Marvel and Star Wars. Has a tremendously fat cat named Buster and still buys CDs. I've got my reasons.
Leslie Jones Hilariously Live-Tweets The Shape of Water
Guillermo Del Toro and Fox Searchlight Team for New Horror and Sci-Fi Label
Michael Shannon Watched Shape of Water Win Best Picture at a Dive Bar
The Shape of Water Wins Best Picture at the 2018 Oscars
Shape of Water Inspired Adult Toy Is a Big Hit and Selling Out Fast
2018 Oscar Nominations: Complete List of Nominees