The Shape Of Water LFF Review: 8 Ups & 2 Downs

Ups

8. Sally Hawkins' Fantastic Performance

The brilliant Sally Hawkins is easily one of the most underappreciated actresses of her generation, though that just might change following her outstanding performance here.

Hawkins' protagonist Elisa is mute, requiring the actress to not only convincingly speak using sign language, but also utilise the full expressive capacity of her face to convey emotion.

Hawkins absolutely nails it with surely her most impressive work to date, commanding the screen at all times and absolutely holding her own against the scene-stealing creature.

While it doesn't seem terribly likely that Hawkins will receive an Oscar nomination for her sublime work due to the Academy's prejudice against sci-fi and fantasy fare, she is nevertheless absolutely worthy of Oscar recognition. A Golden Globe nod is infinitely more likely.

Expect the actress' profile to enjoy a significant boost off the back of her terrific turn here, and rightly so.