Pan’s Labyrinth

By Mal -

9 out of 10

Pan’s Labyrinth follows the story of a young girl caught in the middle of the Spanish Civil War and her escape from it into a fantasy world. This is no children’s fairy tale, however. Both the depictions of the war — notably, of the girl’s step-father, a captain in Franco’s army — and of characters in the parallel world are, at times, pretty horrific. I was staggered the film got a 15 certificate.

Regardless, the quality of the acting, the story-telling and the realisation of the characters is up there with anything I’ve seen. I think the only reason I didn’t give it top marks is that, until very close to the end, I was distracted by my indecision over what was meant to be real and what wasn’t (if anything). I guess I’m a rather simplistic viewer in that sense. However, once I’d made my decision and reflected on the whole film, it became clear I’d seen something really rather special. Maybe one day I’ll bump it up to a 10. For now, though, I can simply recommend that you see it on a big screen. Don’t miss out.

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