Beautiful fantasy, brutal reality

Rating: 10/10 (14 January 2007)

I saw this on a preview disk with not great quality and this film looked fantastic on that. Eleven year old Ofelia (the amazingly talented 12 year old Ivana Baquero) discovers a fantasy world in her new home, a world that is filled with amazing creatures that look more real and amazing than any recent Hollywood creation and filmed beautifully. However this against the background of her stepfather's (a Spanish Army Captain) fight against leftwing forces in the Spanish Civil War. His brutal sadism against Ofelia, her mother and their servants contrasts amazingly with the fantasy world and is played amazingly by Sergi Lopez.
An amazing film, certainly the best of 2006, possibly the best of 2007.