A dark genius lurks in ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’

loading...

In theaters

PAN’S LABYRINTH, written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, 119 minutes, rated R. In Spanish with English subtitles. Starts Jan. 19, Railroad Square Cinema, Waterville.

Guillermo del Toro’s excellent new film, “Pan’s Labyrinth,” is a violent, enthralling children’s movie made for adults.

Let’s underscore that. As much as the movie appears to be for children – and as much as it has to say about childhood – it is not for children. Its backdrop is a fascist nightmare that bleeds horror with an ease that’s unsettling.

On one level, the film is about the wonders of childhood, but on a deeper, more profound level, it’s about the risks inherent in childhood, which can be dire, particularly where fantasy is involved.

From del Toro’s own script, the film understands that for a child thrown into emotional turmoil, fantasy often is the only reasonable, accessible escape. The trouble is that for those who do give themselves over to it, unwittingly or not, the borders between what’s real and what isn’t can become dangerously blurred.

Such is the case for the film’s 10-year-old lead character Ofelia (the marvelous Ivana Baquero), who in 1944 Spain finds herself fatherless in the wake of that country’s civil war, uprooted from her home and now on a journey to Northern Spain with her pregnant mother Carmen (Ariadna Gil).

Carmen is the recent wife of fascist leader Capt. Vidal (Sergi Lopez), a vicious man who instills in Ofelia such fear, she retreats into what at first appears to be the comparative safety of a fairy-tale world. But when it becomes clear to her that her mother is so ill, she might not live through the pregnancy, and when Ofelia realizes that Vidal routinely is murdering those rising up against him and his political beliefs, her fairy-tale world takes a turn into darkness, with the faun Pan (Doug Jones) repeatedly offering her choices that threaten her life.

With its broad echoes of “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” not to mention the bleakest works by The Brothers Grimm, the movie also scores in a subplot involving Vidal’s doctor (Alex Angulo) and housekeeper, Mercedes (Maribel Verdu). Each are anti-fascist insiders working against Vidal’s regime, which heightens the suspense as their game of chess is played out.

In the end, “Pan’s Labyrinth” is one of last year’s best films, a movie that’s so good – so richly imagined, satisfying and real in spite of Eugenio Caballero’s beautifully surreal production design – that it will be nominated for the Academy Award it might just win: Best Foreign Language Film.

Grade: A

On DVD

THE ILLUSIONIST, written and directed by Neil Burger, 109 minutes, rated PG-13.

In “The Illusionist,” a satisfying period mystery from writer-director Neil Burger, it’s the rich, shadowy atmosphere of Dick Pope’s cinematography that grabs you first, then Philip Glass’ spellbinding score, which nearly is as great as his work in “The Hours,” and then the story itself.

Set in turn-of-the-century Vienna, this dense, layered film stars Edward Norton as the controversial magician Eisenheim the Illusionist, who has developed an illusion so real, one is forced to question that if it is real, what are we to make of his abilities?

It appears as if Eisenheim has the power to bring people back from the dead, which gives those at his performances hope that perhaps he might be able to bring back their own lost loved ones, if only to allow them a fleeting chance to reconnect. At center stage, Eisenheim conjures wavering images of the deceased – either a man, a child, or a woman come to the forefront. It’s the woman who gets him into trouble.

When Eisenheim was young, he fell in love with the duchess Sophie von Teschn, whose royal blood wasn’t exactly a suitable mix for his pauper’s blood. Spirited away by her family, she and her beloved Eisenheim were separated for years, until one evening, at one of Eisenheim’s performances, he meets Sophie (Jessica Biel) again.

Their connection is undeniable, yet with Sophie engaged to the ruthless Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), who decides to ruin Eisenheim when he senses the man’s attraction to Sophie, the movie begins its long romantic duel. Reluctantly assisting Leopold in his quest to doom Eisenheim is Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti), who becomes stunned by the ease with which Eisenheim turns the tables on Leopold in the wake of a grotesque murder.

Like the best, most hypnotic magic trick, “The Illusionist” seamlessly draws you in, wows you and then tricks you, though you’re delighted by the trick even if you saw it coming, which likely will be the case for some of those who see it.

Deception and betrayal all are part of the melodramatic mix – as are several fine performances from the excellent cast. As for the ending, pay close attention. Unlike most magicians, Burger has the burden of being a director, which means that for his film to succeed, he must reveal his own tricks lest he letdown his audience. In a final rush of images, he does – and though it comes in a blur, it nevertheless adds up.

Grade: B+

Visit www.weekinrewind.com, the archive of Bangor Daily News film critic Christopher Smith’s reviews, which appear Mondays in Discovering, Fridays in Happening, and weekends in Television as well as on bangordailynews.com. He may be reached at Christopher@weekinrewind.com.

Renting a video or a DVD? BDN film critic Christopher Smith can help. Below are his grades of recent releases in video stores. Those in bold print are new to video stores this week.

Akeelah and the Bee -B+

Annapolis -C-

The Ant Bully -B+

Basic Instinct 2 -D+

Big Momma’s House 2 -D

The Black Dahlia -C-

Breakfast on Pluto -B

The Break-Up -B

Brokeback Mountain -A-

Cars -C

Cheaper by the Dozen 2 -C-

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe -A

Clerks II HD DVD -B+

Click -C-

The Constant Gardener -A-

The Covenant Blu-ray -D

Crank -B+

Curious George -B

Date Movie -D-

The Da Vinci Code -C+

The Descent -B+

The Devil Wears Prada -B+

Double Indemnity -A

Employee of the Month Blu-ray -C

Failure to Launch -C-

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift -B

Freedomland -C-

Friends with Money -B

Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties -C+

The Gridiron Gang Blu-ray -C+

A History of Violence -A

How Art Made the World -A

The Illusionist -B+

Inside Man -B+

Invincible -B

Jackass Number Two -B

Junebug -A

Kinky Boots -B+

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang -B+

Last Holiday -B

The Libertine -D

Little Miss Sunshine -B+

Lucky Number Slevin HD DVD -B

Match Point -A

Miami Vice -C

Mission Impossible III -C-

Monster House -B+

The Mummy Returns HD DVD -D

Munich -A-

My Super Ex-Girlfriend -A-

Nacho Libre -C

North Country -C

The Omen -B-

Over the Hedge -B

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest -B-

Poseidon HD DVD -B

A Prairie Home Companion -C

Rumor Has It… -C-

Scooby-Doo HD DVD -C-

Shakespeare Behind Bars -A-

16 Blocks -B

Slither -B

Snakes On A Plane: A-

Stay Alive -D-

Superman Returns -C+

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby -B

United 93 -A

V for Vendetta -B+

The Wicker Man -BOMB

World Trade Center -A

X-Men: The Last Stand -B-

You, Me and Dupree – C-