Innocence Has A Power Evil Cannot Imagine

Rating: 10/10 (28 May 2007)

This is the story of a young girl who travels with her pregnant mother to live with her mother's new husband in a rural area up North in Spain, 1944, after Franco's victory. The girl lives in an imaginary world of her own creation and faces the real world with much chagrin. Fascist repression during the first years of Franco's dictatorship is at its height in rural Spain and the girl must come to terms with that through a fable of her own.
I am happy to say this is the first film I have read subtitles instead of hearing other actors talk in English. It's not that bad, really. I also have to say this film is very depressing, showing the ill-mannered actions during a war era.
This film will take you in the movie, making you experience something you never had before. It's very imaginative, with great special effects, a great production designs and some camera work. This film is very dark, and although I'm just a teen, don't let children watch this movie.
There are some scenes where I think it was unnecessary to add the violence and blood. Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, this is probably his best film to date. I liked the acting by Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, and Maribel Verdú.
This is a worthy film in Guillermo del Toro's collection of movies he had made. It's one of the best film in 2006 and should be seen by people who love great films. It's emotional, suspenseful, and magical!