Pan's Labyrinth

Blending the gritty real-life world of 1943 Spain with the imagined fantasy of a young girl named Ofelia, Pan's Labyrinth is a masterpiece of a film by Guillermo del Toro. I am still unsure as to whether I am more disturbed by images of the fantasy monsters or of the monstrous actions of the Captain and his crew.  Last night my wife and I went out on a date and we rushed to get to dinner.  What we've complained about for years now is that, as a married couple who a child, getting out of work, having dinner, and seeing a film--all in one night isn't as easy as it was when we were in our early '20s.  For one, we were both up at 5:15 a.m. yesterday and went through a full day of work.  By the time my wife and I met up, it was 6:30 p.m.  After a quick but delicious meal, I looked at the time and saw that we had 7 minutes to get to the movie or we'd have to wait another hour.  When babysitting is costing you $7 an hour and you've been up since 5:15 a.m., making it to the theater in 7 minutes is the way to go.  Thankfully, we were only several blocks away so we walked in the cold, purchased the tickets and found two seats crammed in the far right corner.  Packed nearly to capacity, we settled down to watch an amazing film.

What frustrates me the most about our lovely world of technology is that I do hope that, one day soon, I can order the movie through an online service or "On Demand" one and watch it in the comfort of our home.  Granted, I love seeing films on a large screen in surround sound but our home theater setup is enjoyable enough that I don't think we would have missed much by watching the movie at home.  When you factor in dinner, the movie, parking, and the lateness of the hour--oh and that babysitting fee, it's not cheap to go to a film.  But I enjoyed Pan's Labyrinth immensely--I wouldn't say that this is a film that I would watch over and over again, but its gritty depiction of life and a young girl's belief in magic is a strong message that is essential to view in today's dark times.  War, terror, and fear have affected so much of all of our lives that it's refreshing to see Ofelia imagine a world beyond ours that is pure and true.  When I talk about movies, I don't like much to "give them away" so I'll neglect to tell much more than that, but the imagery and CGI are well blended in the movie.  There are times in which you feel as though you're immersed in the Faun's world of magic and eternity.

Guillermo del Toro directed Hellboy and Blade 2.  I've seen both those films and, to be honest, wouldn't see them again.  He tends to have an extremely violent and visceral take on life in his films and Pan's Labyrinth continues that trend.  There are several scenes that certain members of the audience squirmed or groaned at as they were so disturbed by what they were viewing.  Pan's Labyrinth is definitely not for children although its central character is a young girl.  Go see this film to remember what good film making is about.  My wife made the comment that American films (to generalize) tend to tie movies up in a nice little bow at the end.  Pan's Labyrinth grabs you, full force, into its dark world, and when you escape, you'll be thankful that you've escaped. 

Comments

[Tuomas]

I went to see this movie in Helsinki couple of weeks ago. I had some spare time and had no idea what to do so saw this movie kinda accidently. I had no idea what to expect. Have to say I was positively surprised as the film stands out from hollywood productions with interesting story and tied around realistic violence, which keeps you on your toes constantly.

Ron, if you get the time, I also recommend 'The Prestige'. I saw it in Lithuania couple of days ago and enjoyed it a lot.