The Shape Of Water Review

Rating: 8/10 (25 February 2018)

The Shape of Water is a film co-written and directed by Guillermo del Tero. I heard of this film for quite some time and was pretty sure that it was going to be good by looking at the trailers. Finally after seeing the film I can say that I was impressed.
Plot: Elisa, a mute janitor, at a research facility forms a bond with an alien like asset bought on for research at the facility.
Story and direction: Having not seen much of del Tero's work, I didn't know what to expect. But I knew that it will be something to look out for. The story has not much to it. But the way it was said was very impressive. Much credit goes to del Tero for giving us a great visual experience. The characters also are to look out for. Each are different and contrasting from each other. But you feel for each of the characters, which anyone wants out of any film. The production quality and make up for the characters (especially the asset) is top notch. I don't know how much of VFX was used for the film, but if used it was excellent. The costumes and cinematography made it look like the ear of Cold War. Hats off to del Tero for putting up a fabulous crew with a shoestring budget. But the film still has issues. Apart from the film being quite known, some scenes felt a bit cliched. I could guess as to what would happen next. Also the score from Alexandre Desplat was not that interesting. Yes, the old songs used were good to hear but apart from that nothing in the score was a stand-out.
Performances: This film is filled with great performances. Starting with Sally Hawkins. I was mesmerized with her performance. She nailed her character so perfectly. Richard Jenkins was also to look out for. Octavia Spencer also did a fabulous job. Many didn't mention but I did like the performances of Michael Shannon and Michael Stuhlbarg. And finally, Doug Jones was quite good as the Alien.
Favorite Scene: It would be the one where Eliza shows the Asset how to eat the egg. This scene felt very crucial to the bond formed between these two characters. The honesty and earnest-ness is what captivated me towards the scene.
Verdict: This film was great and a visual masterpiece. The film is a great example that a big budget is not needed for anyone to make a great film.
I am going with an 8.5/10.