Review The Shape of Water (2017)

[Doctor Omega]

The Shape of Water is an upcoming American fantasy adventure film directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor.

The film stars Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Lauren Lee Smith, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer.

It is scheduled for release in December 8, 2017.


Plot

An other-worldly story, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1963.

In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Hawkins) is trapped in a life of silence and isolation.

Elisa’s life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment.

Cast

• Sally Hawkins as Elisa, a mute woman who works at a lab where an amphibious man is being held captive.
• Michael Shannon as Strickland
• Octavia Spencer as Zelda
• Doug Jones as the creature
• Lauren Lee Smith as Elaine
• Richard Jenkins as Giles, Elisa's neighbour.
• Michael Stuhlbarg
• Nick Searcy
• David Hewlett

Production

On March 17, 2016, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that a thriller film was in development from Guillermo del Toro which would star Octavia Spencer and which del Toro was writing and would produce and direct for Fox Searchlight Pictures.

The film would be set in the Cold War era.

Michael Stuhlbarg joined the film's cast later in March.

On May 6, 2016, Michael Shannon joined the cast in a role opposite Sally Hawkins.

The title was speculated and then confirmed to be The Shape of Water.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, del Toro confirmed his frequent collaborator Doug Jones would play the creature featured in the film.

Filming was set to begin on August 1, 2016 in Toronto, but del Toro confirmed on his personal Twitter account that filming would begin on August 15, 2016.

Production was officially announced to have begun on that day, which was later confirmed by del Toro himself.

Filming wrapped on November 6, 2016.[14]

In December 2016, Alexandre Desplat was confirmed to be working on the film as the composer for the film's score.

 

[Doctor Omega]

Guillermo del Toro’s original R-rated fantasy adventure tale “The Shape of Water” is also about to unleash a new preview it appears.

The Ontario Film Authority has classified the two-minute trailer which contains “grotesque images in a fantasy, comedic or historic context; scenes that may cause a child brief anxiety, or fear; limited embracing and kissing; and restrained portrayals of non-graphic violence.”

As the film is a 20th Century Fox release, expect it to show up attached to copies of “War for the Planet of the Apes” on July 21st.

 

[Doctor Omega]

“Shape of Water” Drawing Raves From Venice





Following strong reviews for the Alexander Payne’s “Downsizing” as the opening night film, Guillermo del Toro’s romantic creature feature ” The Shape of Water” has bowled over critics on the second day of the Venice Film Festival.

The Cold War-set fairy tale was reportedly met with sustained applause during its press screening. Subsequent social media reaction and trade reviews have pegged it, del Toro’s first time in competition on the Lido, as the filmmaker’s best work since 2006’s “Pan’s Labyrinth”. You can read write-ups at Variety, The Guardian, Collider, The Wrap, The Playlist and THR.

Sally Hawkins, Michael Stuhlbarg, Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer and Richard Jenkins star in the story of a mute lonely woman who cleans an American high-security government lab and forges a relationship with a top-secret experiment – an aquatic man (Doug Jones) from the Amazon.

‘Shape’ will have its official world premiere tonight and is already slated to screen at Toronto and Telluride in a few weeks. Fox Searchlight will release the film in cinemas on December 8th.

 

[Doctor Omega]

 

[Doctor Omega]

“Shape of Water” Wins Venice Golden Lion






Guillermo del Toro’s Cold War romantic drama “The Shape Of Water,” about a mute janitor (Sally Hawkins) who falls in love with a fish man, has taken the top prize of the Golden Lion at this year’s 74th Venice FIlm Festival.

Annette Bening led the jury for this year which also handed out a Grand Jury Prize to Samuel Maoz’s “Foxtrot” and a Special Jury Prize to Warwick Thornton’s “Sweet Country”.

Martin McDonagh’s “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” scored best screenplay and Xavier Legrand’s work on “Jusqu’a La Garde” won him both the Silver Lion for Best Director and the ‘Lion of the Future’ which honors a debut film.

Acting honors went to Charlotte Rampling for “Hannah,” Kamel El Basha for “The Insult,” and a newcomer award for Charlie Plummer in “Lean On Pete”.

In the Venice Horizons section, Susanna Nicchiarelli’s “Nico” won best film while Vahid Jalilvand’s “No Date, No Signature” scored awards for director and its leading man Navid Mohammadzadeh. Lyna Khoudri in “Les Bienheureux” scored best actress, Alireza Khatami’s “Los Versos Del Olvido” won screenplay, and “Caniba” took a Special Jury Prize.

 

[Doctor Omega]

New poster.....

 

[Doctor Omega]

 

[Doctor Omega]

So, while Universal are struggling and failing to reboot their old monsters in a "DARK UNIVERSE" franchise, Fox sneakily go and make a very promising CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON movie!

 

[duzit]

@Doctor Omega

This looks very intriguing to me, something I will be interested in. As I was reading thru the posts & previews, I thought the same thing about the CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON movie! I saw the original @ the drive-in as a child & was scared to death. Oops, I'm really telling my age...
Thanks for the info doc◆◆◆♡♡♡ keep us posted.

 

[Doctor Omega]

Shape of Water: Oscar favourite accused of 'copying' 1969 play


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-43153836

Oscar favourite The Shape of Water has been hit by a copyright legal case, with claims it "brazenly" copied the story of a 1969 play.

Director Guillermo del Toro and the Fox Searchlight studio are being sued by the family of late Pulitzer-winning playwright Paul Zindel.

They denied the allegations about the film, which is up for 13 Oscars.

The otherworldly film stars Sally Hawkins as a mute cleaner who falls in love with an amphibious man.

It has already won Golden Globes and its Oscar nominations include best director for del Toro and the prestigious best picture, leading the pack with 13 nominations.

Hawkins is also up for best actress for her portrayal of Elisa Esposito.

Votes are currently being cast for the awards, which take place in Los Angeles on 4 March.
Del Toro has said he had never heard of the play before making The Shape of Water, and neither had any of his collaborators.

Zindel's family sued the studio, director and others on Wednesday in a California court, saying the film is "in many ways identical" to his play, Let Me Hear You Whisper.

The play tells the story of Helen, a "little old cleaning lady" newly hired to work in a laboratory where experiments are being carried out on dolphins.

She develops a rapport with one of them and plays it music as it makes attempts to speak.

 

[Doctor Omega]

Let Me Hear You Whisper by Paul Zindel (1 of 4)


Part 1 of the National Education Television (NET) production of the play Let Me Hear You Whisper by Paul Zindel (1969) Directed by Glenn Jordan and starring Bill Baird, Philip Bruns, Anthony Holland, Ruth White, Elizabeth Wilson, Iggie Wolfington The action is set in the laboratory of the American Biological Association Development for the Advancement of Brain Analysis, where curious experiments involving various mammals are taking place. Helen, a newly engaged cleaning lady, is particularly drawn to a dolphin and is shocked when she learns that, having failed to "talk" as hoped for, it is slated for brain dissection. She makes a desperate attempt to rescue the dolphin from the scientists, incurring first their indignation and then, when the dolphin does indeed "talk" for Helen, their futile pleas that she change her mind about leaving and stay on to help them in their experiments. But the gentle Helen has had enough—both of "Custodial Engineering" and of schemes to change man's relationship to the other creatures with whom the world must be shared.

 

[Doctor Omega]

 

[Doctor Omega]

Alexandre Desplat - You'll Never Know (Official Video) ft. Renée Fleming

‘You’ll Never Know’ – Renée Fleming, from ‘The Shape of Water’ in theatres now

 

[Doctor Omega]

Let Me Hear You Whisper Shape of Water | Similarities

Let Me Hear You Whisper by Paul Zindel, written in 1969 and The Shape of Water have many things in common. 25 of many similarities are shown here.

 

[Doctor Omega]

The Shape of Water Soundtrack (2017)

 

[Doctor Omega]

Here is another 12 minute short film that THE SHAPE OF WATER has been accused of ripping off....

 

[Mad_Monster_Party]

I know it's been over a month since the Oscars but I am finally getting close to seeing all the Best Picture nominees (I still haven't seen Lady Bird or Call Me by Your Name yet, but have seen all the others).

I finally saw the Shape of Water today. I thought it was a good movie, but I'm still not sure where I would put it against the other nominees.

Do you have any comments or opinions on this??

Thanks in advance for any in advance!!!

 

[Doctor Omega]

I was impressed by it when I went to see it, but it's similarities to the above projects makes me question it's credentials as an original story.

Creative coincidence? I just don't know.

I also thought it lost some credibility with the

Spoiler

"filling the bathroom with water" scene. How watertight are bathrooms in these buildings?

That scene just seemed a little silly in the wrong way.