Pan's Labyrinth

[gridlore]

Just watched this. Visually? Stunning. Well directed, good performances. Very nice effects and creature building. Slow as molasses. I really had a hard time maintaining interest while waiting for things to move. To be honest, a movie about this small fascist outpost and the family/staff/soldiers dynamics would have been far more interesting without the fantastic elements. Especially is you filmed things from Ofelia's point of view as a shell-shocked girl who has retreated to fairy tales as a defense against her new reality.

Good, but not great. 3.5 penguins out of five.

Comments

[notthebuddha.livejournal.com]

Especially i[f] you filmed things from Ofelia's point of view as a shell-shocked girl who has retreated to fairy tales as a defense

I believe this is actually the case. The failure to explore how she "really" got out of the loft is suggestive, but I don't think either of us would want them to slow down for that exposition when things are finally starting to move along.

[squidgiepdx]

Okay... I have to disagree with you on this one. Yes, it was visually stunning. But I was totally captivated by the story. Not sure why - it was *dark*. I mean the darkest dark that ever darked.

See if you can catch The Orphanage (same genre - I think by the same people/director). Again, visually stunning. But heartbreaking.