10. A STAR IS BORN
Bradley Cooper's excellent directorial debut, “A Star Is Born”
(which is the forth incarnation of this story to be made for the big
screen) was quite the surprise for me, mainly because of just how
great Lady Gaga was in the role of Ally. I am not going to go
through all the things that make this film such a standout (although
big props to Matthew Libatique for his impressive cinematography),
rather I want to highlight what I considered the best scene I saw in
any film in 2018. Anybody who has seen the film, immediately knows
which scene I am going to talk about, because it is the absolute
highlight of “A Star Is Born”. The scene in question is when
Ally shares the concert stage for the first time with Jack (Bradley
Cooper) to perform the song “Shallow” to his sold out audience.
The scene works so well because of Lady Gaga's performance while
singing this song, as her face exposes all of the many emotions she
is going through in this life changing moment for her. When Jack
first asks her to join the stage with him, Ally is initially
reticent. She sits backstage and when he begins singing the words
she has written, you can see her begin to melt, stunned that this is
really happening. Thirty seconds in when he reaches the chorus, you
can now see how overwhelmed she is but understands that this is an
opportunity she is likely never to get again, and as such finally
heads out into the stage to sing. When her voice finally leaves her
mouth at the start of the second verse, you can feel all of her
nerves and her uncertainty about whether she is good enough. As Ally
continues, her natural ability takes over; she is a singer and this
is what she is good at and loves to do. However this newfound
confidence is broken when Jack shares the chorus with Ally, and it
snaps her back into the reality of the moment. It is also during
this chorus that Ally notices the audience for the first time, when
they cheer for her. Suddenly her eyes widen, looking like a deer in
headlights, but fear is not going to ruin this opportunity for her.
Jack then invites her to take centre stage; she is shocked but goes
with it, almost subliminally knowing that “THIS. IS. IT”, this is
her moment to change her life and introduce herself to the world, and
she takes the opportunity with both hands (literally, as she uses
both hands to pull down the microphone). It is here when Lady Gaga's
god-given talents take off and she belts out a chorus of the song
that is just stunning to listen to. The wave of emotions that you
see in her eyes as she witnesses the audience responding to her voice
sends chills down your spine, and then once again, Jack joins her for
a part of the chorus; this time sharing the same microphone.
Initially she appears embarrassed that she is singing with such a
famous singer, but then again, she eases into the song and just
enjoys singing with her friend, laughing along the way, while never
losing eye contact with him. They continue singing the song while
looking into each other's eyes and when the song is over, the spell
is broken and Ally sees just how big the audience she sung in front
of was. Scene over. Truly amazing and special scene; a perfect
movie moment and my favourite scene I saw from any movie in 2018.
I need to also mention just how great Cooper's direction and staging
of this scene is from a narrative perspective. It is very important
to notice the distance between Ally and Jack at the start of the
scene. They are at opposite sides of the stage on separate
microphones, but as the song progresses the distance between them
decreases until they are sharing one microphone, staring at one
another, brought together by their combined love of music. They
started the scene off as friends, but by the end of it, they are one,
never to part until the end of the film. Cooper is also smart enough
to know that this is Ally's/Lady Gaga's scene and plays the majority
of it on her face. His character is still part of the scene but
often seen in the background of shots (foreshadowing of the future)
but Cooper refuses to dial the scene in; he commits fully in his
performance, starring at Ally full of total pride and happiness that
she is getting this moment to share to the world. Did I happen to
mention that it is a perfect scene?
9. THE WILD PEAR TREE
The
latest film from Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, “The Wild Pear
Tree”, is another three hour epic that just flies by. Going into
the film, the running time intimidated me but thanks to the film's
intelligent script tackling salient issues in a very human and real
“conversational” way, I found myself totally mesmerised by the
experience and the character's plights. The film is about a man
returning to his small country town after graduating from college,
intent on finding a publisher for his book. However as soon as he
gets back into the town, he is his hounded by people enquiring about
his father's gambling debts. This is a point of tension amongst the
family, and is something that disgusts Sinan (the son). However,
through his exploits in the film Sinan must come to terms that he is
more like his father than he realised, while also understanding that
he is not above where he came from. The film is structured around
very long conversations between Sinan and numerous people he comes
into contact with. Each conversation seems to tackle a certain theme
such as love, friendship, religion, politics, money and art, but is
done so in a way that feels totally natural and never forced. There
is a danger that these kinds of topics could come across as dry or
boring, but that just is never the case here and instead, it ends up
creating a well rounded and defined character out of Sinan.
Interestingly, the actor who plays the part of Sinan, Dogu Demirkol,
is a stand up comic in real life yet his comedic roots are never
apparent in his portrayal of this arrogant and somewhat prickly young
man. It is a brilliant layered performance, full of many
complexities, but what is most surprising is that he makes us care
for this character, who at times can be quite unlikable. Ceylan has
once again collaborated with Gokhan Tiryaki as his cinematographer
and the pair, as usual, have created stunningly beautiful images,
this time focusing on the country landscapes of Turkey, primarily
using an autumnal colour palette that is something to behold. Nuri
Bilge Ceylan is currently working at the peak of his powers, and “The
Wild Pear Tree” is another stunning achievement from this brilliant
Turkish director. Click here to read my original review.
8. ISLE OF DOGS
If you have ever read any of my previous top twenty lists, it would
become apparent pretty quickly that I am a huge fan of director Wes
Anderson. His quirky visual style and odd stories that he tells just
appeal to my own sensibilities, so any time a new film arrives from
this talented director, it is a big occasion for me. Anderson's
previous stop motion animated film, “Fantastic Mr. Fox”, was
absolutely to die for; brilliantly conceived, hilariously written and
performed, and amazingly was able to continue the same visual style
as Anderson's live action films. In saying all of that, you would
assume that I would be chomping at the bit for Anderson's latest,
“Isle of Dogs”, especially as it too was animated in the same
style as “Fantastic Mr. Fox”. However, I was totally unimpressed
by all of the trailers for the film, and thought a lot of the
character designs looked rather bad. I was actually worried that Wes
Anderson was about to deliver a total dud..... and I was totally
wrong!! As usual, I loved every second of this silly film and
laughed out loud numerous times. One of my favourite things about
the film, was the gossiping dogs (“Hey, you heard about
the.......”); they were hilarious and to have the main gossiper
voiced by Jeff Goldblum, that was total genius. Like most of
Anderson's films, they move very quick and there are lots of little
jokes that fly by, so re-watching his films are always a joy because
you pick up on so much each time. While my favourite scene of 2018
was in “A Star Is Born”, “Isle of Dogs” has arguably my
second favourite scene of the year; a scene that had me howling with
laughter. The main dog character of the film is Chief (voiced by
Bryan Cranston); a black stray dog, very scruffy and always grumpy.
He is the leader of the pack, and what he says goes (or at least the
other dogs agree with). He is one that is totally against a dog
having a human master, but when the “little pilot” crash lands
onto the island and he begins travelling with the boy, his opinion of
having a master begins to soften. Eventually, Chief and the rest of
his pack get briefly separated, and the boy offers Chief a
bath.....which he accepts. The after-bath reveal is total genius
that I never saw coming, and I had tears streaming down my face, I
found it that funny (I really want to explain the reveal but don't
want to ruin the enjoyment of experiencing the scene itself). What I
also loved was when he meets up with his pack again and they ask
“What happened to you???”, to which he nonchalantly answers “I
had a bath”. The comedy of this scene is obviously only apparent
when you have seen it, but it was another moment that had me in
stitches. “Isle of Dogs” is full of such comedic moments, not to
mention heartwarming moments and it is yet another success for Wes
Anderson.
7. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND
Forty years in the making, and finally finished long after his death,
comes the final film from the great Orson Welles, “The Other Side
of the Wind”; a film unlike any other from his oeuvre, in fact it
could be said that it is almost unlike any other film ever. One
thing is for sure though, it is a fantastic film and a worthy, if
belated, swansong for this truly special filmmaker. “The Other
Side of the Wind” is about an ageing director, Jake Hannaford
(played by John Huston) who is straddling the line of genius and
has-been, who is mid-way through production on his latest film which
is also titled “The Other Side of the Wind”. In an attempt to
secure financing to finish the picture, Hannaford holds a gala party
on the occasion of his birthday where he intends to show what he has
shot already of the film. Invited to the party are names from all
over the industry, as well as a large group of influential members
from the press, who are given carte blanche to record the whole event
with no topic of conversation off the table. Through fragmented
moments from these conversations we are witness to a man who is
obviously both enamoured with Hollywood and totally over it. Through
the course of the night, we watch as people we assumed are friends of
his, turn out to be enemies and realise that some may be there not to
celebrate the man, but to watch him fall. It also becomes apparent
that the shooting of this latest film isn't going the smoothest with
producers having no idea what the film is about, and unsure on when
Hannaford will finish it. Then comes the film within the film
itself, which looks like some sort of arthouse spy film shot in a
very arty manner with bold use of bright colours, and chock full of
nudity and sex. As I said above, this is unlike any other film
Welles made previous but I found it endlessly intriguing and so
exhilarating in its execution. The film is deliberately messy due to
the faux-documentary style as we are witness to footage shot by all
these different reporters. As such, the editing is quick and rough,
and multiple film stocks are used, including both black and white and
colour. Dialogue is rapid fire, and the whole thing moves at a
breakneck pace, so watching it can be a little exhausting. What is
interesting though is that the story of the film mirrors what Orson
Welles himself had to go through in the making of “The Other Side
of the Wind” in an attempt to get it finished, so you have to ask
yourself is this a case of art imitating life or vice versa? Either
way, you can not walk away from this film thinking that it isn't
autobiographical in some fashion, with Huston essentially playing the
onscreen alter-ego of Welles himself. Huston is fantastic in the
role too. He was such a powerful man, just in his presence. He had
a weight to him that everyone felt when he stepped into a room, and
he uses this trait perfectly while portraying and lifting the mask on
his character, Jake Hannaford. I have to make mention of the footage
of the film within the film, which just proved that Welles never lost
his ability to shoot stylish and visually interesting footage, it was
just the money and opportunities dried up. It is shot all in colour
and is gorgeous to look at. While I have mixed emotions about
Netflix's place in cinema at the moment, I have to applaud them for
getting in there and financing the completion of Orson Welles's final
film. It is a cinema nerd's dream and does not disappoint, although
I will admit it will not be an easy watch for the casual viewer.
6. NOVEMBER
Part
fairytale, part absurdist black comedy, part love story; “November”
is a true gem of a film, and as unique as they come. I have
mentioned many, many times that I am a huge fan of fairtytales and
folklore, but this was my first exposure to Estonian folklore and I
loved every second of it. The plot of the film as per imdb is as so:
“In a poor Estonian village, a group of peasants use
magic and folk remedies to survive the winter, and a young woman
tries to get a young man to love her.” While there is mention of
magic in there, the plot sounds relatively normal but it is within
this world of witchcraft and darkness, that so much of the bizarre
takes place and it is all so good. For example, the farmers create
these creatures out of sticks or tools called “kratts” but to
give these things souls so they can live and move (and help the
farmers steal), they must head out into the forest and make a deal
with the devil: blood for a soul. However, the villagers have worked
out a way to trick the devil by crushing berries into their palm so
it looks like blood and they get what they want out of him for
nothing. Then there is the tragic love story between our main
character Liina and Hans. Just as she falls in love with Hans, he is
a victim of love at first sight when he sets eyes on a princess. In
an attempt to get Hans back, Liina goes to the local witches for help
who come up with a plan to kill the woman Hans loves. Then there are
elements that are so odd and silly such as when the plague enters the
town (in the form of a goat) and to survive, the townsfolk all huddle
together in a barn and put their pants on their heads so it looks
like they all have two bums. The theory is that the plague will
believe these people are already hit hard enough and move on without
killing them. Seriously, what the??? I am not making this stuff up
either. Did I mention that one of our characters is also a werewolf
? I have only mentioned just a few of the unusual things that happen
but in the context of this amazing movie, all this craziness just
works and feels of the world created. “November” will surely
open doors for director Rainer Sarnet who has done a spectacular job
of making this odd world feel tangible and real. I loved that he
actually designed and built the “kratts” and had them puppeteered
rather than resorting to cgi. By them actually being within the
frame interacting with the actors, it makes their existence that much
more believable. The sense of atmosphere and beauty that Sarnet also
imbues on this film is impressive and vital in the telling of a
fairytale. Speaking of beauty, the black and white cinematography
from Mart Taniel is breathtaking while at the same time creating a
world that is both harsh and at times, ethereal. I absolutely adore
this film, and hope that in the future it becomes more widely known
because it certainly deserves to be.
5. ASSASSINATION NATION
This was my “biggest surprise” of 2018, and as I wrote a big write up on this film in
that section, I wont be doing so again here. I will say that it is a
truly fantastic film that attacks today's instagram lifestyle, and
questions how politically correct we have become and if this
correctness is actually more harmful than good. It is an angry,
loud, aggressive and very bloody film. It is also anything but
subtle, hammering home its points. This is not a technique that I
usually respond to but in the context of this film and the world it
is presenting within, it seems right and works perfectly. There are
also a couple of moments of cinematic bravura from director Sam
Levinson, including an amazing single shot moment where the camera
circles a multi-storey apartment where our girls are holed up in,
watching what they are doing inside, as they are unaware of the
people outside trying to break in. “Assassination Nation” is
destined to have a huge cult following in the future, but buyer
beware, this is a film that goes down some very dark and
uncomfortable places.
4. A QUIET PLACE
The best horror film of 2018
easily went to John Krasinski's “A Quiet Place”; a film filled
with nerve wracking suspense and a gimmick that was treated anything
like one. “A Quiet Place” is set in a world where monsters with
super sensitive hearing exist amongst us. A human's only chance of
survival from them is to stay completely silent, never make a sound
because the slightest noise will alert these creatures of your
whereabouts and once they have found you, you do not stand a chance.
What is so great about this film is that, due to the rules of
surviving this world, there is very little dialogue in it at all.
The family interacts through looks and most importantly, sign
language. The sign language is significant because their daughter
also happens to be deaf, which adds another danger element to the
film as she is unaware if things are making noise so she needs to be
extra careful. Amazingly, the family at the centre of the film have
been able to survive for well over a year but we learn that they have
come up with a lot of precautions to have done so. For instance,
they have sand laid out on pathways and parts of their house so their
footsteps remain silent, gaming pieces from monopoly have been made
out of wool, and they have also come up with an intricate system of
letting members of the family know of danger in the area without
making a sound via the use of red light bulbs. John Krasinski has
done a fantastic job of creating this world and making it, and the
decisions the family make, believable. He has also imbued the film
with scenes of the most unbearable suspense. You are constantly on
edge watching this film, as Krasinski delivers classic scene after
classic scene, such as the nail in the staircase scene, the bathtub
birth scene, and the grain silo scene. The lack of dialogue hasn't
hurt the actors at all as real life couple, Emily Blunt and John
Krasinski, are brilliant as the parents of this family. As I
mentioned before, it is all in the looks that the actors give each
other and it totally works. Millicent Simmonds has been cast in the
role of the daughter, and just like her character, Millicent is deaf
in real life so it adds another layer of realism to the project which
helps it immensely. It is also through her character, that the heart
and emotion of the film lies too. Unlike “Bird Box”, “A Quiet
Place” shows the monster in full detail and numerous times, and he
is a terrifying creature. Even though he is rendered in cgi, the
creature carries a real weight to it and you feel its aggression
whenever it is on screen. Interestingly, Krasinski himself played
the monster, in that it was him in the motion controlled suit that
animators then built the monster onto his movements. Personally this
little detail impressed me so much in showing just how much care
Krasinski put into all the details of the film. I have to also
commend him on creating a film with a ninety minute running time.
The film never outstays its welcome, rather it tells its story and
then ends rather than needlessly padding its running time to the
detriment of the story. Finally, the greatest thing “A Quiet
Place” did was it figured out a way to get patrons in the cinema to
shut the hell up for once. When the film started, and it was so
quiet, you could sense an uneasiness amongst everyone because this
was not the norm. As they were opening up their chip packets,
drinking their drinks and shovelling popcorn into their mouths,
people soon figured out that everyone could hear what they were
doing. By about fifteen minutes in, the film had them and you could
hear a pin drop, the cinema was so quiet. As such, it was one of my
favourite cinema sessions I attended all year. Also I was so glad
that my initial screening of “A Quiet Place” was in a cinema
because it added so much more to it, thanks to the brilliant sound
design and editing. This is such a great film, a stunning
achievement on all levels, but I am a little bummed that the
incredible success of “A Quiet Place” has led to the development
of an unnecessary sequel, but a sequel I will still definitely see.
3. TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID
Reminiscent of Guillermo Del
Toro's “Pan's Labyrinth”, in the fact it is about children
trapped in a world of real violence, turning to fairytale's as a way
to cope with their reality, Issa Lopez's “Tigers Are Not Afraid”
was my favourite film that I saw at MIFF this year. It is such a
powerful film that will move you; it will make you angry, and at
times it will make you sick to think that children in Mexico are
living the reality we see in this stunning film. “Tigers Are Not
Afraid” is about a group of homeless kids, orphaned by the drug
cartels, attempting to survive day to day without running into the
cartels themselves while surrounded by constant violence. Our main
character is Estrella, whose mother only recently had not returned
home. Earlier in the day, whilst she was at school, she was given
three pieces of “magic” chalk from her teacher that give her the
ability to ask for three wishes. However, when Estrella uses these
wishes, the outcomes are not exactly what she hoped for, which gives
the saying “be careful what you wish for” all the more power.
Like Del Toro's masterpiece, Lopez is not afraid to show the violent
reality these children are exposed to. She is also not afraid to
show children as the victims of this sickening violence. One of the
really sad things about the film is the fact that this violence is so
regular, that the kids are so desensitised to it all. They are
actually used to it to the point that it barely affects them. Lopez
has created an angry film as she obviously condemns the situation
that exists in Mexico with the cartels but also with the lack of
government interference to improve the situation. In fact Lopez goes
one step further to suggest that the reason why the government
doesn't do anything is because they actually benefit more from the
cartels being in ultimate power. What is interesting though about
the film is that while it deals with a very dark subject manner, the
film itself is not always doom and gloom and this is due to the
children themselves. These are kids who have effectively lost their
childhoods and forced to grow up quick due to being orphaned, but
there are times when the kids are just kids, playing together and
just goofing off. These scenes are quite lovely and needed in a film
that is at times heavy. It gives a sense of just what these kids
have lost. In regards to the fairytale elements of “Tigers Are Not
Afraid”, they are not as pronounced as the elements seen in “Pan's
Labyrinth” but Lopez has handled these little moments with the a
lightness of touch and whimsy. The majority comes from Estrella's
wishes, as I mentioned before, which never seem to go as she planned
while at the same time fulfilling her wish as spoken. The result of
her third wish is just..........wow! I never saw it coming (and that
is all I will say about it). “Tigers Are Not Afraid” is such a
brilliant film but beware, it is a brutal film. People die.
Children Die. The violence within the film is also violence that you
feel; it is not the cool Hollywood violence without consequence.
However, no matter how uncomfortable this film is at times, it is a
powerful film experience that makes you want to yell “STOP THIS
MADNESS!!”. Issa Lopez has created a stunning film with “Tigers
Are Not Afraid” that I recommend wholeheartedly for viewers who can
handle dark, but relevant tales. Click here to read my original review.
2. KILLING
With “Killing”, Shinya
Tsukamoto has created his best film since 2004's “Vital”
(although 2011's “Kotoko” isn't too far behind). Set during the
Edo period of Japan, “Killing” is about a samurai who has all of
the skills to be a great swordsman, but finds out that he does not
have the temperament to take a person's life. When you head into a
samurai film, you often go in with expectations of grand battles and
bloodshed and while that initially appears to be where Tsukamoto's
“Killing” is heading, it ends up taking a sharp turn and becomes
a much more intimate affair that examines just how hard it is to kill
someone, and what it does to a person when that line is finally
crossed. It is an extremely powerful film and Tsukamoto is firing on
all cylinders here. What I was particularly impressed with was the
way Tsukamoto dealt with the swordplay compared to the real life
violence. When our main character, Mokunoshin is seen training and
sparring, the battles are extended and involve impressive
swordsmanship. Editing is limited in these shots as the samurai's
skill is put on display. However, when Mokunoshin is thrown into a
real life or death battle, Tsukamoto changes the way he presents
these scenes, making the camerawork very messy and shaky with the
actual swordplay lasting mere seconds, with the blood spilled being
excessive. He quickly shows the difference between sparring and the
consequences from a real battle. A real fight is quick, intense and
bloody, with no time to show off your nice technique. Also the real
damage that you can do with a sword is considerable, and it is all of
this that sees Mokumoshin reassess his life's goals. With Tsukamoto
working on a smaller canvas than is the norm for a samurai film, he
trades in scenes of grand battles with a film that looks at themes
related to violence. The film is ultimately about the effects of
violence on, not only the body, but also the mind of both victim and
perpetrator. It also looks at just how hard it is to kill a man and
how dirty and bloody an act it actually is. The cycle of violence is
also explored in how violence begets more violence, and how at the
end of the day, it all ends up being rather pointless and
destructive. Staying true to the themes of the film, (and because,
lets face it, “Killing” is still a samurai picture) Tsukamoto has
created a very violent and bloody film with “Killing”, however
the violence is never gratuitous nor glorified. One aspect of the
film that I have to mention is Chu Ishikawa's very impressive score
which compliments the images perfectly while also articulating the
mental anguish and descent into hell that Mokunoshin is going
through. Ishikawa's scores are always impressive, but this one feels
extra special. On a sad note, this is the final score we will ever
hear from Iskikawa in a Tsukamoto film, as the composer passed away
in December 2017. His music always added so much to Tsukamoto's
films and he will be sorely missed. I cannot express how grateful
and ecstatic I was to have been able to see “Killing” on the big
screen. It is the first Tsukamoto film I have seen in a cinema since
2002's “A Snake of June” and I loved every second of it. Click here to read my original review.
1. THE SHAPE OF WATER
My favourite film of 2018
was none other than Guillermo Del Toro's adult fairytale, “The
Shape of Water”. I saw it very early in the year, in January, and
even then I stated that it would be hard for a film to topple it as
the best film of the year, which proved prophetic. It actually feels
strange talking about this film now, as it was released in late 2017
in the US, and has since gone on to win Best Picture at the Academy
Awards, as well as a Del Toro win for Best Director. While I am
amazed that I live in a world where a monster film has won a Best
Picture Oscar, the award is thoroughly deserved. I immediately fell
in love with this story about two outsiders falling in love, while
the violent world around them attempted to keep them apart.
Everything about this film is pure bliss. The visual style is to die
for, the world shot in gorgeous green hues. The cast is perfect with
everyone giving fantastic performances. I absolutely adore Sally
Hawkins as mute woman Elisa who ends up falling in love with the
monster. Being mute, she has lost one of an actor's strongest tools,
her voice but Hawkins just steps up to the challenge filling this
beautiful character with so much love and respect, which you can see
through her eyes, body language and reactions. Honestly, I can not
believe that she was an actress I couldn't stand once upon a time.
Speaking of, I used to never like Michael Shannon (as hard as that is
to believe) but he is terrifyingly good as the man determined to take
the monster apart to see how he ticks. I've never seen him as a
heavy before, but he excels in the role and is quite intimidating in
a number of scenes. An actor I have always loved (but doesn't
everybody) is Richard Jenkins who plays the lonely neighbour and best
friend of Elisa. Del Toro has actually given this small character
quite an interesting side story, as we see he is a man out of his
time; no longer relevant in the advertising world where he works, as
well as struggling with being a closeted gay man. One of the main
themes of the film is intolerance against people who are different
which is obviously apparent in the way the creature is treated and
abused, but also in the way Richard Jenkin's character is verbally
attacked when he makes a subtle gesture towards a man he likes, as
well as some brief racial intolerance in some small scenes. Rounding
out the impressive cast is Octavia Spencer and Michael Stuhlbarg who
are their usual outstanding selves (with Stuhlbarg impressing in
multiple languages) but special mention must be made of Doug Jones
who is able to make a real character out of the amphibian creature
and emote beautifully through the prosthetic make up. The design of
the creature is also beautiful, very clearly influenced by the
Creature from the Black Lagoon. “The Shape of Water” is also
filled with such wonderful little moments or scenes that really make
it stand out with my favourite being the tap dance moment Sally
Hawkins and Richard Jenkins share on a couch while seated. It adds
nothing to the story but it is a beautiful moment that adds plenty to
the movie. Another moment that must be considered brave from
Guillermo Del Toro is the ball room dance sequence between Elisa and
the monster. This could've turned out laughable but again ends up
being a lovely moment in the film. Speaking of brave, Del Toro chose
to be upfront in regards to sex between Elisa and the creature,
rather than alluding to it; he explains just what happens and how,
which results in a rather comical scene. Another aspect I need to
mention is Alexandre Desplat's score which has a light and old time
feel to it, which really compliments the fairytale atmosphere of the
film. Being a film from director Guillermo Del Toro, “The Shape of
Water” is also at times a very violent film. Del Toro rarely shies
away from violence and always exposes the ugly and bloody side to it,
which he does again here. Anyway, you put all of the above elements
together and you get a very special film, that also turned out to be
my favourite film of 2018.
Well
there you have it, that was my round-up of the year that
was 2018; hopefully you got some enjoyment out of it. Now before I
finish, lets have a brief look at the upcoming year and my most
anticipated films of 2019.
