Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

9/10

Starring

Sergi López

Maribel Verdú

Ivana Baquero

Doug Jones

Directed and Written by Guillermo del Toro

This is one of the best child castings I’ve ever seen. Pan’s Labyrinth is Guillermo del Toro’s best movie, and it’s set in 1944, after the Spanish Civil War. The movie is in Spanish, but the events are so magical and entertaining that there’s little room for boredom. Every scene means something, every action leads somewhere, and the visual effects, combined with the characterization, are crafted to evoke love, pity, admiration, or hate.

This dark fantasy movie crosses the boundaries between the present struggles of a little girl trying to fit into a world she doesn’t seem to care for—the human world—and a magical world where everything she desires is just three tasks away.

Guillermo’s writing doesn’t dive too deeply into the magical world but instead focuses on Ofelia’s adventure as she tries to return to her home and reign as the princess of the underworld.

The movie’s plot begins with the introduction of Princess Moanna, whose father is the king of the underworld. Moanna visits the human world, where the sunlight blinds her and erases her memory. Her visit makes her mortal, and she eventually dies. Her father believes her spirit will return to the underworld to take her place as the future ruler, so he builds labyrinths (which act as portals) around the world, hoping she’ll one day find one.

That day finally comes.

A girl named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) travels with her pregnant and sick mother to meet Captain Vidal, her new stepfather. Vidal is tasked with hunting down the remaining rebels from the civil war. On her journey, Ofelia sees a large stick insect, which she believes is a fairy. The insect follows her to her new home and, one night, transforms into a fairy, leading her to the labyrinth. There, she meets a faun who believes she is the reincarnation of Princess Moanna. He gives her three tasks to complete to return to the underworld. She accepts the challenge and sets off.

If the movie had focused more on the tasks, it wouldn’t have been as magical. Ofelia’s life is torn in two as she struggles to be there for her sick mother. Meanwhile, a lot is happening around her—Captain Vidal’s quest to kill all the rebels leads him to overlook the ones hiding in plain sight.

Young Ofelia, and we the viewers, deal with torture, death, and thrilling escapes to reach the end of this magical journey.

Winning three Academy Awards and BAFTAs—one of which was for the incredible makeup—the movie went on to win many other awards in its year of release. There’s nothing more to say except: go see this movie. It’s a keeper.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

7/10

Starring

Francis McDormand

Sam Rockwell

Woody Harrelson

Written and Directed by Martin McDonagh

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is one of those movies you’ll appreciate more for its screenplay and story. Written and directed by Martin McDonagh, the idea came to him while driving and seeing billboards about unsolved murders. His fictional take on this concept hits home well enough for me to enjoy.

His version features a mother who has waited seven months for the police to come up with something—anything—on her daughter’s case. Her daughter was raped, killed, and burned to death. The mother is tortured by what happened, especially because of the last words they exchanged and their strained relationship. To add to her pain, her husband left her for a nineteen-year-old. Their marriage wasn’t rosy—he used to beat her when they were together.

Her struggles aren’t getting any better at home with her son, whom she feels disconnected from, and a life she believes has nothing left to offer. She decides to ensure her daughter’s killer is found and makes sure the police don’t forget to do their job. She rents three abandoned billboards near her home, which read in sequence: "RAPED WHILE DYING," "AND STILL NO ARRESTS?", and "HOW COME, CHIEF WILLOUGHBY?"

This, of course, changes things for her. The town now hates her, and even the police department isn’t keen on getting involved. The police chief, Willoughby (Woody Harrelson), isn’t doing well himself, as he struggles with his own pain, which leads to a tragic turn of events.

This dramatic tragedy strikes hard on many themes. Its comedic moments are well-placed, especially with Sam Rockwell’s character, Officer Jason Dixon. He transitions from being a comedic, racist, homophobic, angry, and childish character to a more mature and informed one. This growth isn’t limited to his character alone—it’s also seen in Mildred Hayes, the mother of the murdered child, played by Frances McDormand, and throughout the entire movie.

This well-written movie seems to grow right before our eyes, leaving us to witness more mature and impactful scenes from the two lead characters, Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell.

At the 75th Golden Globe Awards, the film won Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Actress – Drama (Frances McDormand), Best Supporting Actor (Sam Rockwell), and Best Screenplay. It also earned Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Frances McDormand), and Best Actor in a Supporting Role for both Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson.

The Shape of Water (2017)

The Shape of Water (2017)

8/10

Starring

Sally Hawkins

Michael Shannon

Richard Jenkins

Octavia Jones

Directed and Written by Guillermo del Toro

The Shape of Water isn’t just a romantic drama that will leave you in awe of the wonderful powers of love—it also has an added spice of fantasy and science fiction to complete the dish of a pleasant time at the movies.

I decided to watch this movie after learning about the number of accolades it has garnered. Some of these include Best Director and Best Original Score at the 75th Golden Globe Awards. It was listed in the American Film Institute’s top ten films of 2017 and has been nominated for Best Film at the upcoming BAFTAs and Oscars. Seen as Guillermo del Toro’s best film since Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), The Shape of Water features a memorable performance by lead actress Sally Hawkins, with a supporting cast that delivers Hollywood-level acting to bring the following plot to life.

Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins) is a mute janitor at a government secret facility. We don’t know much about her childhood, except that she was rendered mute by an injury to her neck sustained as an infant.

Elisa’s life revolves around two places: her workplace, where her only friend is Zelda (Octavia Spencer), who looks out for her and serves as her interpreter, and her apartment, where she hardly stays because she spends most of her time with her next-door neighbor, Giles (Richard Jenkins). Giles is also a lonely individual—an artist and a closeted gay man. The movie is set in the 1960s, a time when being gay wasn’t widely accepted. Zelda and Giles are Elisa’s best friends and the only people who understand her when she communicates in sign language.

One day at work, a strange tank container is brought in, and Elisa notices it contains something extraordinary. During her cleaning duties, she gets the chance to be alone with the tank, which houses a creature. This creature isn’t just any creature—it’s something between an alien and a sea creature, unlike anything we’ve ever heard of. Elisa is fascinated by the creature, which she calls a “mermaid” (or rather, a merman) when describing it to Giles. She starts feeding the creature, and soon they become friends, communicating in sign language. Elisa quickly decides she must free the creature after witnessing Colonel Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon) brutally mistreat it and plan to dissect it.

Her plan for escape and the amazing abilities of the creature… well, you’ll have to watch the movie to witness it. The Shape of Water is an incredible film and worthy of all the accolades it has received.