In darkness, there can be light. In misery, there can be beauty. In death, there can be life...

Starring: Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Ivana Baquero, Doug Jones, Ariadna Gil, Álex Angulo, Manolo Solor

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I've had so many names. Old names that only the wind and the trees can pronounce. I am the mountain, the forest and the earth. I am... I am a faun. Your most humble servant, Your Highness." - Pan to Ofelia

Why watch this? As wise critic Roger Ebert penned, "It is a fairy tale for grown-ups".

Plot Summary: Set in Spain during WWII, a young girl, Ofelia, and her pregnant mother move into the compound where her ruthless father-in-law, Captain Vidal, resides. Vidal, a sadistic leader, is responsible for suppressing a band of rebels who resist the Francoist regime. He is cruel, especially to Ofelia. To cope, the girl escapes to an imaginary world of fairies and creatures. Within a nearby stone maze, she encounters the bizarre, horned Pan, a faun who gives her three tasks to prove her worthiness to become a princess.

Dad's Preview: There is a mood that del Toro brings to his films. It is dark, dirty, and very scary. It is very intentional that the audience is uncertain whether our young protagonist is dreaming or lucid. Perhaps it is a little of both. I was impressed with the performance by Ivana Baquero as Ofelia, a girl searching for comfort in a world of pain. This allegorical, fantastic film won buckets of awards, and sits atop many lists as greatest fantasy film.

Estudios Picasso, Tequila Gang, Esperanto Filmoj, Sententia Ent.;
Warner Bros. Pictures