Pan's Labyrinth directed by Mexican, Guillermo del Toro, has been receiving rapturous reviews around the world - and has garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film - so I was expecting a lot. And while I was not disappointed - this is a very good film - I wasn't blown away like seemingly everyone else has been. The story takes place during the closing days of the Spanish Civil War (circa. 1944-ish) and centers on a young girl, Ofelia, with a love for fairy tales of the darker variety. The underlying themes here are of quest, the battle of good versus evil (mimicking the resistance fighters vs. Franco's troops), and ultimately the choices we make in life. You see Ofelia is apparently the reincarnation of an ancient princess who ruled with her father in time immemorial and is set tasks by a brilliantly realized faun, Pan, whose goal it is to kill an innocent to set things to right again. All this plays out in the very creepy fairy tale world and the even creepier and exceptionally violent real world. This is a very good thriller with lots of subminimal massaging. It is definitely not for kids.
My rating 8 out of 10.
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