PAN'S LABYRINTH

Innocence has a power evil cannot imagine.

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Actors: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López and others

Genre: Drama, Fantasy, War

Duration: 118 minutes

Plot: in the falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world (written by Shanon Patrick Sullivan).

Analysis: not many things to say about Pan's Labyrinth, Guillermo del Toro's best picture and one of the greatest films in the history of spanish cinema. After having seen the movie at least five times there is not a single think i could describe as mediocre. Direction is simply magnificent, the script marvellous and solid, the perfomances extremely persuasive and the scenery something more than magestive.
      But what really stands out from this excellent movie is the messages del Toro wants to pass to his audience. The comparison of a pieceful and beautiful world in the fantasy of a little girl with Spain's darkest period in its recent history: the 35 years' dictatorship of Franco. A period scarred by freedom's and democracy's absence. Del Toro manages to describe the horror of that time by transforming it into the monsters of his fantastic world, thus gifting us with a true masterpiece.


Things to notice:

• del Toro's brilliant direction (by far the best of his entire career)  
• the unimaginable creatures that come to life thanks to the del Toro's unique and unparalleled fantasy and
• the smart comparison between the beauty of the fantasy kingdom and the ugliness of the embattled reality.

Oscar awards (2007):

• three (3) oscar wins for:

a) Best Achievement in Cinematography,

b) Best Achievement in Art Direction and

c) Best Achievement in Makeup.

• three (3) oscar nominations for:

a) Best Writing, Original Screenplay,

b) Best Original Score and

c) Best Foreign Language Film of the Year.

Personal Evaluation: 9.1/10

Should be watched tonight if: you are curious to discover what kind of bitter truths can a fairy-tale reveal.

Trailer

CHILDREN OF MEN

No children. No future. No hope. But all that can change in a heartbeat.

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Actors: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Caine and others

Genre: Drama, Action, Sci-Fi

Duration: 109 minutes

Plot: in 2027, in a chaotic world in which women have become somehow infertile, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.

Analysis: Children of Men is one of my favorite movies and in my humble opinion the best of Alfonso Cuaron's films. The first and the last think someone should refer to while attempting to describe this movie is –of course– it's direction, which reaches perfection. There is nor a single shot, neither the slightest facial or body reaction not being orchistrated by Cuaron's command, thus serving precisely the purposes of the movie. What's more, Cuaron succeeds in creating with presicion the feeling and the atmosphere of a doomed world, not only visually but emotionally as well. You can almost taste the despair of the people that live in this futureless society. His scenes are powerful even when there are no noisy gunfires or breathtaking explosions –the absolute silence of the abandoned countryside made me shuddered with excitement and sorrow. Although the film describes a non-existent world, there is a plethora of indirect political and social references, that Cuaron manages to insert into the film with a smooth and clever way. Some of these "horrific" situations (e.g. the suffering of the refugees) may seemed as simple futuristic fantasies ten years ago (at the time when the movie was released) but nowadays constitute the plain reality... 

      Apart from the magnificent direction (of which i could speak for hours), the plot is quite good and solid, offering us various unexpected twists, the dialogues remain keen and smart throughout the whole duration of the film, the photography manages to capture and feature even the slightest detail and the performances are elegant and convicing, with Michael Caine being trully enjoyable and moving in his role as an old and marginal yet wise hippie.

Things to notice:

• the brilliant direction of Alfonso Cuaron (i still can't figure out why he wasn't at least nominated for an oscar),      
• the musical accompaniment (mainly english rock ballands of the '60s and '70s) that fits perfectly with the film's atmosphere and
• Michael Caine in one of the best performances of his entire career.

Oscar awards (2007): 

• three (3) oscar nominations for:

a) Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay,
b) Best Achievement in Cinematography and
c) Best Achievement in Film Editing.

Personal Evaluation: 9.2/10

Should be watched tonight if: you are simply looking for a great movie.

Trailer

EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE

This is not a story about September 11th. It is about every day after.

Director: Stephen Daldry

Actors: Thomas Horn, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, John Goodman, Max von Sydow, Viola Davis and others

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Mystery

Duration: 129 minutes

Plot: a troubled young boy searches New York City for the lock that matches a mysterious key left behind by his father, who died in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 (written by IMDB editors).

Analysis: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (big title, i know) is indeed a story about the events of September the 11th. But it is not just an another story. It is something quite different. It is the desperate struggle of a young boy to solve the last riddle that his late father left to him. It is a restless quest throughout the city of New York, a sequence of unexpected meetings, unforeseen revelations and strong feelings. The whole cast is enjoyable in their roles, however, Thomas Horm is simply stunning, offering us a great performance which manages to overshadow even famous oscar-winning actors such as Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock. The direction is plain and solid, spreading with success and elegance all the emotions that the magnificent script bears. 

      All in all, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a great and meticulous combination of drama, mystery and adventure, as it contains and describes with detail, gentility and persuasiveness not only the well-known reality of September the 11th but also the unsuspected pain and the unthinkable reactions of normal, everyday people through their agonizing effort to confront and finally overcome the sorrow in their souls. A movie that will sweep you aw to its intricate paths, making you laugh, cry and think about the important values in life.

Things to notice:

• the excellent performance of the young protagonist Thomas Horn,  
• the greatly interesting atmposhere which is the result of the succesfull compination of mystery, adventure and drama and
• the different perspective under which the tragic events of September the 11th are presented.

Oscar awards (2012): 

• two (2) oscar nominations for:

a) Best Motion Picture of the Year and
b) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.

Personal Evaluation: 8.7/10 

Should be watched tonight if: you want to discover what miracles the power of love can offer to the people around us.

Trailer