The Shape of Water

Rating: 7/10 (7 May 2018)

Short and Simple Review by WubsTheFadger
The Shape of Water tells a tale of two unlikely lovers. The story is interesting and engaging. Guillermo del Toro is a masterful storyteller. I just feel that the critical acclaim for this film set the bar way to high. I did not see it as a masterpiece, nor should it have won the Oscar for Best Picture. It is a good film with great visuals. The social message shown throughout the film is a little cliché (Love can be between anyone). But I did enjoy the ending.
The acting is very good. Michael Shannon performs the best in my eyes as a man who never fails. Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Doug Jones all perform very well also. Sally Hawkins does a very good job portraying her characters. She is also shown completely nude in this film which is great (Her breasts and pubic hair can be seen).
The pacing starts off fast but it slows down in the middle. The runtime is also overlong.
The music used throughout the film is great and the set pieces and props make it feel like the 1960s.
Pros: Original and interesting story, good storytelling, great visuals, very good acting by Michael Shannon, good overall acting, seeing Sally Hawkins completely nude, and a great use of music and props
Cons: Some slow pacing, an overlong runtime, a cliché social message, and the movie was not as spectacular as the critics made it out to be
Overall Rating: 7.2
P.S. I truly don't believe this film deserved Best Picture. Films like Blade Runner 2046, Dunkirk, Three Billboards, and Phantom Thread were a lot better then this film.