Del Toro's The Shape of Water... hmmm...

[Sin Agog]

You don't see Sally Hawkins' jugs in that though

Jugs out = Oscar nomination

She swims about the same amount in both, though.

[Mister Six]

Can't comprehend anyone having a different opinion eh?

Nah, I just find there's a streak of obstreperous contrarianism on here that leads to hyperbolic nonsense sometimes. Or all the time.

[Bence Fekete]

Not much to add that hasn't already been noted.  Another sub-standard Ron Howard clone so drenched in it's own saccharine monotone love sap you may as well just decide you're going to enjoy it anyway well before you go in like doing Alton Towers and it's shit but you have to pretend to experience continuous joy or the very nature of society will collapse. 

But it's not joy.  It's decay.  It's the slow sifting surrender to the god of pap.

A worthy Oscar winner.

obstreperous contrarianism on here that leads to hyperbolic nonsense

We can't all like it.  That would be as dull as the film. 

[Sin Agog]

To be fair, the 'they must be pretending to enjoy it' route is just as lame as 'they're only being contrary'.  Some people enjoy electrified nipple clamps.  It's a big ol' melting pot we live in, and maybe our reactions are all genuine?

[Crabwalk]

Nah, I just find there's a streak of obstreperous contrarianism on here that leads to hyperbolic nonsense sometimes. Or all the time.

Whatever the merits of your observation, I think you've chosen the wrong thread in which to assert it. Many people just don't think the film is as good as the plaudits suggest.

[Bence Fekete]

To be fair, the 'they must be pretending to enjoy it' route is just as lame as 'they're only being contrary'.  Some people enjoy electrified nipple clamps.  It's a big ol' melting pot we live in, and maybe our reactions are all genuine?

To be fair, that isn't remotely what I said.  I said the film - the film - is so devoid of nuance and ambiguity it nullifies critical interpretation.  In your head you heard 'I think everyone who likes it is pretending', and I don't think that at all. 

[Custard]

Not much to say, except I really liked it. Sally Hawkins is great. It looks lovely. Nice time at pictures.

4 sticky buns

[garbed_attic]

It was purty... but I don't feel like simplistic fairytales are what the world needs right not. And, as much as I like Sally Hawkins, they really should have cast a mute or deaf-mute actress, or at least someone who could sign to the standard of someone who would have grown up signing.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Aye. Standard CaB Ironic Review/desperate iconoclast form though.

No I genuinely didn't enjoy it more than I'd give it a 3* (2 if I was grouchy, 3 if I was focusing on the stylistics) and there's no 'desperation' I've detected from the others who didn't either. Indeed, this opinion isn't restricted to CaB but a sizeable minority of the public and critics. Strange word to use, and of course insulting, not to mention misplaced.

I can cope with Sam calling people miserable bastards as that's very much consistent and I've been on his side for genuinely exhilarating stylistic thrill rides such as Gravity, but this is unnecessary.

Well done on standing out though, you managed to do that.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

To be fair, that isn't remotely what I said.  I said the film - the film - is so devoid of nuance and ambiguity it nullifies critical interpretation.  In your head you heard 'I think everyone who likes it is pretending', and I don't think that at all.

Depressing that discourse has sunk to the level that this sort of thing needs explaining almost by default as the very first reply rather than it being incorporated into someone's thoughts before contacting you.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Saw it last night, thought it was alright.

[Sin Agog]

Depressing that discourse has sunk to the level that this sort of thing needs explaining almost by default as the very first reply rather than it being incorporated into someone's thoughts before contacting you.

You guys must be didactic fucking masters then if you read a line like "you may as well just decide you're going to enjoy it anyway well before you go in like doing Alton Towers and it's shit but you have to pretend to experience continuous joy or the very nature of society will collapse" and don't see how anyone can interpret that as implying that a large dose of the audience forced themselves to like it in a delusive act of twee self-hypnotism.  'Must be positive about the Spinball Whizze--- Shape of Water or I might find myself quoting Torture Garden to everyone I meet."

[hermitical]

I'm a romantic and usually a sucker for this sort of stuff.  I weep buckets at the drop of a hat.

this, my better half sent me off to see this thinking it would be perfect for me, weirdness with a romantic bent. I was left totally cold by it, zero emotional involvement. I usually invest in a film all too easily but not this time.

[Bazooka]

Off to see this tomorrow, not too arsed. My work mate told me about the opening scene which I can imagine will not be present watching it here in China.

[Twit 2]

I can cope with Sam calling people miserable bastards as that's very much consistent and I've been on his side for genuinely exhilarating stylistic thrill rides such as Gravity, but this is unnecessary.

Heh, just re-read that thread. What an exhausting dickhead.

[SavageHedgehog]

Off to see this tomorrow, not too arsed.

I saw this yesterday and went in with not much in the way of arseness, but I enjoyed it more than expected. I didn't really buy into or care about the central romance, bit of a problem I suppose, but was carried along by the surface-level pleasures, and Michael Shannon's character with his good ol' "death of the American dream" subtext. Said subtext is obvious nothing new, nor is it particularly subtle, but I didn't think it was a sledgehammer-level either. Best picture of the year? No, but for me at least, a somewhat refreshing Best Picture Winner nonetheless.

[greenman]

It was purty... but I don't feel like simplistic fairytales are what the world needs right not. And, as much as I like Sally Hawkins, they really should have cast a mute or deaf-mute actress, or at least someone who could sign to the standard of someone who would have grown up signing.

The trouble there I spose would be casting someone of the same ability given that she arguably carried much of the film. You could argue as well that really its main success was actually breaking away rather from the more simplistic fairtail side though and showing such a character breaking free of the naïve victim cliché.

I did think the film as a whole was a bit uneven but perhaps some misdirection was at play in terms of reception? the expectation that it would be driven by the romance as a two way thing when really it was more focused on her character breaking free of that assumed childlike innocent role. I'd say that was why the sex in it wasn't as suggested out of place titillation but rather more justified titillation, showing the adult side to her first hidden and then revealed.

[Wet Blanket]

She jills off in the bath within the first five minutes so it wasn't that hidden.

[Bazooka]

She jills off in the bath within the first five minutes so it wasn't that hidden.

Censored the aqua wank here in China.

[Wet Blanket]

Aqua wanks plural. Did they cut all the nudity too? And the explanation of the monster's ding dong? I'd be interested to see that version, because whatever you think of it the sexual element is integral to the film, without it you've got a slightly different story altogether.

[Sebastian Cobb]

It was purty... but I don't feel like simplistic fairytales are what the world needs right not. And, as much as I like Sally Hawkins, they really should have cast a mute or deaf-mute actress, or at least someone who could sign to the standard of someone who would have grown up signing.

You might be interested in this if you aint seen it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tribe_(2014_film)

[Bazooka]

Aqua wanks plural. Did they cut all the nudity too? And the explanation of the monster's ding dong? I'd be interested to see that version, because whatever you think of it the sexual element is integral to the film, without it you've got a slightly different story altogether.

They just embraced, but never saw any amphibian knobs or anything.

[Wet Blanket]

You don't see his tallywhacker in the original cut either, there's just a scene where she explains in sign language how it emerges. Sally Hawkins gets full frontal though; filmmakers' male gaze and all that

[greenman]

You don't see his tallywhacker in the original cut either, there's just a scene where she explains in sign language how it emerges. Sally Hawkins gets full frontal though; filmmakers' male gaze and all that

Michael Shannon's arse was a poor replacement? The whole thing is pretty strong in established standards isn't it, both in more female nudity but also in female sexuality being less threatening, I can't imagine a story of a male deaf/mute shown masturbating who then kidnaps a feminine creature and has sex with her being as easy to sell, at least that's what all Poo's rejected scripts tend to suggest.

[Namtab]

It's quite good. Not amazing, the characters are all very superficial, but Sally Hawkins is fantastic and it's very lovely to look at.

[Bazooka]

It felt like Amélie set in a lab, didn't really dig it.