Monday 22 July 2013

Pan’s Labyrinth — Or El laberinto del fauno: Nice … 






21st July, 2013

You know, I’m think that movie making genius is a hard thing to define.

Really.

And that any definition I come up with … ?

Is going to be one that you are immediately not going to agree with.

Which is fair enough.

Let’s face it, everyone is different.

Even in large groups: which is possibly enough to give a statistician a headache.

If nothing else, your view of movie making genius is going different to be to mine.

My view’s certainly includes telling you about the soundtrack for Small Town Murder Songs: the film was good, but the soundtrack, sounding like the the Polyphonic Spree had turned Amish, is beautiful … and playing on my iPod, at the mo.

You might just disagree about how good it: but it’s worth a listen, I feel.

At any rate, I’m pretty determined to not tell you about Small Town Murder Songs: however I actually feel about it.

No, I’m bound and determined to tell you about a film I’ve seen.   Last night, in fact: one it’s taken me a while to catch up with.

The 2006 Guillermo Del Toro fantasia, Pan’s Labyrinth.

And genius … ?

Hmmm … I think I’ll have to give you a hesitant yes, there …

~≈◊≈~

22nd July, 2013

Sorry, sorry, BIT of a gap, there.   Possibly one that involves me heading into Basildon.

Which is possibly a story for another time, maybe.

At any rate … ?

At any rate, I was telling you about the film I’d caught, on Saturday night: the gorgeous Pan’s Labyrinth*.

And I’m thinking that gorgeous is quite possibly the word, here.

Set in 1944 Spain, in the early years of Franco’s rule, Pan’s Labyrinth follows the story of Ofelia and her mother: a recently remarried widow.

Unfortunately for Ofelia … ?   Her mother, Carmen, has married Captain Vidal: a vicious Falangist who’s hunting down the last of the anti-fascist forces in the area.

Her mother is heavily pregnant with Ofelia’s half brother, and has a lot on her mind.

And Mercades, the Captain’s housekeeper … ?   Has only so much time to spare.

Leaving Ofelia to go exploring her new home: and some of the weirder parts of its back garden.

It’s only when she meets a faun — a genuine faun, none of your Narnia stuff, here in rural Spain — that she starts to realise that there’s parts of the world she’s been nowhere near …

~≈◊≈~

Now … GENIUS

Yes, I think I’ll hesitantly attach the word to Pan’s Labyrinth: mostly off the back of the fact I’ve not seen that much of Del Toro’s work.

I should add that the film is both gorgeous looking — I’m thinking Del Toro’s taken a few hints from the David Lynch school of colours — and wonderfully acted: I don’t think I can fault it.

All told … ?

Go watch Pan’s Labyrinth.

It’s worth it.
Pan’s Labyrinth.
★☆




*        Or El laberinto del fauno, if you want the original Spanish title

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