Fabulous adult faery tale

Rating: 8/10 (7 January 2007)

I've just been to see this film tonight. I was a little hesitant at first as i'm not a big fan of fantasy. However, I am a sucker for historical setting and this has one of the most compelling backdrops in history - the Spanish Civil War (or in this case, the aftermath). I was curious to see how it would all pan out (pardon the pun).
It is the story of a young girl who is moved to the country with her pregnant mother to be closer to her stepfather, Capitan Vidal. He has his own motives for this. She enters a fantasy world, is given tasks by a faun and is aided by some fairies, all with the goal of returning to an underworld kingdom, of which, she is a princess. At the same time, her stepfather is charged with fighting a band of rebels; something he does ruthlessly. This is an aspect of the film I didn't expect. There is a lot of violence considering the seemingly gentle nature of the girls quest. This may seem incongruous, however, even the world she inhabits is filled with horror and grotesque imagery. It feels a little unusual at first but it works and you are eager to see the next stage of each story. This perhaps could be considered as a weakness as both stories are equally compelling and it is a wrench being pulled from one to the other. (although, personally, i would prefer more of the Historical drama.)
The character of the Capitan is played fabulously by Sergi Lopez. He brings a lot of menace to the role and is totally believable as a fascist. He struts like a peacock, is pompous and cruel and his use of violence is shocking.
Ivana Baquero is excellent as Ofelia and Maribel Verdu is also excellent as the resilient Mercedes.
Overall, a clever idea brought to fruition by a talented cast and director. I would recommend it highly, although some may find some scenes a bit gruesome.