"Pan's Labyrinth" and "Children of Men"

These first two films have been getting crazy buzz coverage for the past month. Being the most talked about new movies, its interesting to note that they are both directed by relatively new directors who are both from Mexico. Guillermo del'Toro and Alfonso Cuaron are showing incredible skill and dexterity in their work and these newest films are only increasing their range.

Del'Toro is probably best known for his film "Hellboy" which was release several years ago and was based on a comic book series. Cuaron's best known picture was "Harry Potter 3 and the Prisoner of Azkaban" which completely redefined the Potter series and in my opinion made it more than just a rehashed children's story. He brought the world of wizarding into our real world and made it not only fun, but beautifully artistic.

Moving beyond comic books and wizards, they are now tackling very serious issues in their latest films, while still keeping a firm grip on the fantastic. One is a serious look at our current and potential political atmosphere in a world without children. The other is a study of fascism through the eyes of a child and her fantasy world.

Children of Men, Alfonso Cuaron

After a very long wait, I finally got to see this movie. I must say that as a piece of artwork, it excels in every way. It was a beautiful film. However, I wasn't completely taken with the politics of the film. This was only partially noticable during the film itself. Afterwards I watched one of the extras on the DVD which went deeper into the politics and basically I found most of the commentators to be completely wrong about the nature of humanity and of our world.

Ultimately I would say it's worth a watch but not worth owning. Still, I have high hopes for Cuaron's future projects.




Pan's Labyrinth, Guillermo del'Toro

This film totally lived up to del'Toro's skill and brilliance. It is a haugnting and beautiful tribute to the gift of innocence and imagination that has the power to make sense of a dark world of war and pain. It is also a beautifully tragic story. The music is simple and atmospheric and complements the fantastic set design. I would highly recommend this film to anyone. But do remember, though it is technically a fantasy film, it is not for children. This film deals with very mature subject matters and therefore requires a certain level of maturity from its viewer.