Pan's Labyrinth

Rating: 10/10 (3 May 2007)

When I was in Hollywood on a college trip I heard about this foreign (Spanish language) film and was interested in seeing it. Now, seeing it, this film from Mexican director Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Blade II) is a fantastically inventive journey. Basically it is 1944, World War II, and young fairytale enthusiast Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is moving with her pregnant mother Carmen Vidal (Ariadna Gil) to live with her new stepfather, the ruthless and Spanish army Captain Vidal (a terrific Sergi Lopez). Not long after arriving, she is taken by a fairy to an old faun, Pan (Doug Jones) in the centre of the labyrinth. He tells her that she is a princess, because she is her soul was once part of the labyrinth. He tells her that she must complete three tasks to prove her royalty, and if she fails, she will never be a real a princess, or see her real king father. These include getting a key from inside a giant frog, getting a knife from the room of a creature that wears its eyes on its hands, and eventually, giving her "innocent" blood to the labyrinth, instead of her baby brother. Also starring Maribel Verdú as Mercedes and Alex Angulo as Doctor. The special effects are extraordinary, the violence is eye-catching, and the story is very interesting. It won the Oscars for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Makeup, and it was nominated for Best Music for Javier Navarrete, Best Writing, Original Screenplay and Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, it won the BAFTAs for Best Film not in the English Language, Best Costume Design and Best Make Up & Hair, and it was nominated for Best Special Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Original Screenplay and Best Sound, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. Outstanding!