The Shape Of Water (2017) Fox Searchlight Pictures 📢 Director: Guillermo del Toro. 💰 Producers: Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale. 👫 Cast: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, Octavia Spencer. 🏆 Awards ceremony: -90th Academy Awards: March 4, 2018. Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. 🎭 Other films nominated for Best Picture this year: -Call Me By Your Name. -Darkest Hour. -Dunkirk. -Get Out. -Lady Bird. -Phantom Thread. -The Post. -Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. 📕 Plot summary: Set in 1962. Elisa (SALLY HAWKINS) is a young mute woman who works as a cleaner in a top secret research lab. When the powers-that-be bring in their new find, a half-man, half-fish.... thing... and keep it chained up in an indoor pond, she takes pity on it and begins to befriend it by bringing food and playing music for the creature. Later when she overhears plans for the creature to be destroyed, she comes up with an elaborate plan to kidnap it and takes it back to her home, where Elisa falls in love with him/it. 💥 Standout scene(s): -The full naked shots of Sally Hawkins getting into her bath inside 5 minutes! 🔑 Facts: -The 90th Academy Awards. -Nominated for 13 Academy Awards, it won 4: Best Picture, Director, Music, Production Design. 🙂 Personal opinion: Utter poppycock. It's hard to take the 'love affair' story seriously when you consider the ludicrous scenario. Although the finale is touching, one cannot unsee the complete nonsense that precedes it. Full frontal nudity within 5 minutes of the film, no big named stars and led by Guillermo del Toro who somehow managed to win Best Director for this!?!?!?! One critic called this, and I quote, "a masterpiece"? It bloody ain't, mate. It bloody well ain't! A really odd film. Must have been a very slow 2017 because surely this couldn't have been the best film of the year? Maybe there was some stupid movement around that time where people who identified as amphibious creatures weren't getting any attention from the Academy and so they gave this film the top award? Some may call it 'romantic' - but personally it's just bollocks, mate. Did it deserve the Oscar? ❌NO. And if you think it did then I suggest you take a tablet. 5½/10

Review date: 30 July 2025