Unnecessarily violent with meaningless ending

Rating: 6/10 (27 June 2007)

Well, the art direction is fantastic, but the story doesn't quite hold together. Unnecessary gruesome violence and a really, really bad guy, and the point is..? Yes, there were such bad people in fascist Spain, but I derive no thoughtful insights from this portrayal. The little girl's fantasy world is an equally frightening escape from the horrors of humanity, and the point is..? I guess I should not be expecting this to be a cut above the usual blockbuster fare in terms of story, but somehow all the film festival hype around it lead me to think it would have some deeper literary qualities. It is entertainment that keeps one's attention with thrills and suspense and moments of beauty, but the black-and-white good vs. bad didn't quite satisfy me. Too bad, the premise of the story had such great potential.