A masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (8 April 2007)

This movie is a Mexican-Spanish co-production and in my opinion a Guillermo Del Toro 's masterpiece. If we defined a masterpiece as a content or form who finds an adequate expression in an art form then this movie is one . There are so many things to talk about but let's start with the photography that have an outstanding quality , it's almost like paintings . The screenplay unite 2 separate worlds , the world of fantasy and the post war era in Spain in a very wise way. Being Spanish myself I recognize many of the things the screenplay talks about . The actors and actresses do a once in a lifetime performances , for me this movie is a casting miracle . Ivana Baquero, Maribel Verdú ( in a performance full of dignity and courage), Sergi Lopez ( his fascist is a terrible character but he gives him humanity ).The music score by Javier Navarrete is full of subtle details and good orchestration .And the movie never takes the easy way , it's full of logic and good storytelling . A truly great movie that one cannot miss, be in cinemas or DVD.