Del Toro's Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (12 January 2007)

For me, the great thing about the winter  besides Christmas  is that this is the time of year when we finally get to see some of the very best films. In October we got The Departed and The Prestige. In November we got Babel, Stranger than Fiction and The Fountain. And this December we got Apocalypto, Children of Men and this film; Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth, which is yet again, another great film, and in my opinion one of my favorite films of the year. I know I've been saying that a lot this time of year, but it's so true. This is the last great film to what I have considered to be a relatively good year for movies. This year's Oscars are going to a very close race, and as I see it Pan's Labyrinth has already won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. I shall accept nothing less; my mind is already made up.
In this dark, unique picture; part war-time drama and part horror/fantasy, set in 1944, during a Civil War in Northern Spain, it tells a story about a 12-year-old girl, Ofelia (played wonderfully by the young Ivana Baquero), who moves with her pregnant mother and new stepfather into a new home in the countryside. Her stepfather is Captain Vidal, played with a truly evil presence by Sergi Lopez, has been sent to this remote area to rid it of a small Republican militia. Disliked by the sadistic Vidal (who might as well be Hitler himself), Ofelia buries herself in fairy tales, and discovers an immense and ancient labyrinth guarded by a faun named Pan. He tells her that she is the long-lost daughter of the king of a magical underworld, and to regain entry to her kingdom she must carry out three tasks. So Ofelia enters a strange and no less dangerous world of fairies and extraordinary creatures to complete her tasks.
Director Guillermo Del Toro, whose largely known for such popcorn movies as Mimic, Blade II and 2004's underrated comic book smash-up Hellboy, is at the top of his game and taking a step forward; growing as a filmmaker. The film is both visually imaginative and brutally violent, and sometimes it's not always easy to watch, but Del Toro mezmerizes you so much you can't look away, even when you'd like to. This is a fantasy film where you don't just go to admire the visuals and fantastical elements that are on display, it's also a deeply emotional and sad film with real flesh and blood characters. At the heart of the film is a great performance from Spanish born actress Ivana Baquero, who I think delivers one of the best performances from anyone her age. This Labyrinth most certainly isn't a film for children. Pan's Labyrinth is rated a strong R for graphic violence, and is in Spanish with English subtitles (don't be a pussy, you can do it!). And for it's entire two hour running time I was instantly swept away with Del Toro's uncompromised vision seen through the eyes of an innocent child and I was left heart broken by it's tragic finale, and it moved me to tears. This is one of the best films of the year, and for filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro it is without doubt the finest film of his career. A true masterpiece. I was left stunned and utterly speechless.