Great parallels...don't let the subtitles put you off

Rating: 9/10 (10 June 2007)

This film was such a pleasant surprise. I slightly put off watching it due to ignorance and narrow mindedness that a foreign film really wouldn't match up to the American and English films and the subtitles would distract me away from the story...
HOWEVER, this really didn't happen. Once the film gets going you really don't realise you are reading subtitles, i think also because the director, Guillermo del Toro wrote the subtitles himself was a great move - as we were able to capture and understand the essence of the dialogue.
Many people i see from other comment complain how this was a fairytale that was demented etc... however i think it is quite clear from earlyish in the film that there is two parallel stories going on. Not knowing much about Spainish history i was able to understand the basic jist of the "war" side of the film.
Looking at the "fairy tale" perspective, it was truly magical and the detail was immense. It was heart-breaking how a child used this fantasy land to escape away from the terrible world she was living in.
I would strongly recommend watching this enchanting film it is in my top, and has an essence that many films don't have these days.