Newington film students went to see Guillermo Del Toro’s Oscar-winning movie The Shape Of Water on 6 March.

Organised by Mrs Tsvirko, boys from Cinearts (film club) and the Year 10 film and journalism classes went to Golden Age Cinema in Surry Hills. The Shape Of Water – which won Best Picture at this year’s Oscars – is a unique film, set in a Cold War-era government research facility. It follows the mute protagonist Elisa’s romantic relationship with a mysterious, scaled creature from South America.

Many students were unsure what to expect. Samuel Gresham (10/MA) said: “I wasn’t quite sure what I was anticipating”. James Koumoukelis (10/LE), who had seen the film before, said: “I think it’s a great film with amazing cinematography, great soundtrack and a fantastic story. It’s just amazing. After all, it did win the Oscar for Best Picture.” 

After seeing the film, there were some mixed reactions. Woo Jin Lee (10/MO) told me “The cinematography was undeniable but the story could have been a bit clearer, more focused. It sat on the fence between an arthouse film and a conventional story”.

However, most boys thought it was a great film, if not a conventional one.

Samuel Gresham’s unsure expectations were exceeded: after the film he said he thought “the cinematography was brilliant and it was extremely captivating”.

Similarly, Dhruv Kumar (10/JN) felt “it was shot very well and the storyline was original and interesting. I liked the ending and the effects were very good. My only gripe is that I think they rushed the introductions of the protagonists, but overall I really enjoyed it and think it’s a great film”.

All the boys thoroughly enjoyed the excursion and thank Mrs Tsvirko for organising it.

Alistair Shaw (10/KL)