Once I was blind, now I can see.

Rating: 10/10 (29 January 2007)

This film is one of the most profound films I have ever seen. I've not been so affected by a film ever before. The anger and drudgery of a daily work schedule disappeared once I saw this film. All the worthless, mind-numbing crap doesn't affect me anymore since I watched this film.
The Story: Simplicity works best, and Del Toro & Co prove that all too well. The story follows a young Spanish girl in 1944 Fascist Spain, in the country with her pregnant mother and fascist step-father. She finds an ancient labyrinth in the forest near some backwoods town in the Spanish mountains (I think near the France-Spain border, but I could be wrong). Inside the labyrinth she meets a faun (the Pale Man/Pan) and sets out on a series of quests to regain her 'honor' as a princess in the underworld realm.
The FX: Now, I thought that all the shots with the Pale Man were CGI, but it turns out they were not. The faeries are CG, and done very well. The makeup is utterly amazing.
The Music: One word: haunting. The score brings the mood of film to life.
The Acting: I am completely unfamiliar with all the actors except Doug Jones (even though he's just a guy in a suit, really). Jones' mannerisms as the Pale Man were fantastic. Ivana Baquero was absolutely phenomenal as Ofelia. Her portrayal of a scared girl wrapped in a fantasy world was the best performance of the entire film. The only actor/actress I found not to be very convincing was Maribel Verdu, who played Mercedes. The first scenes with her were not very good, but her subplot as being an undercover agent for the resistance was very well done.
Overall: One of the best movies I have ever seen. As I stated before, I've never been so moved by a film. Magic exists. Beauty exists even in the ugliest of places. If you don't leave this film with some understanding of this, then you weren't paying close enough attention.
10 out of 10.