Pan’s Labyrinth: a Movie For Guys and Girls
How many movies have you sat through for her? Ones that you felt were a total waste of your time but she loved it? Guys and girls are inherently different. No amount of resocialization is gonna change that.
Pan’s Labyrinth (El Laberinto del fauno in Spanish) is not one of those flicks-only-for-chicks . This is a violent fantasy-thriller about a young girl balancing the horrid realities of the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War with a scary dream-like world.
For the guys
If you like blood and violence, there is lots. This movie doesn’t hide the grim realities of a violent guerrilla war. There is a bit of fighting, alongside some macho, well developed and sadistic characters. Maribel Verdú (known for a sensual appearance in Y Tu Mama Tambien), is a tough “Española” with no fear of dying.
And one name will win it for you: Guillermo del Toro. He’s the guy that did Hell Boy, Blade II, and The Devil’s Backbone.
For the girls
This movie has some powerful female characters. Typical of modern Spanish movies, the two leading heroines aggressively embrace their femininity to save the day. They don’t have super powers, and there is no G.I. Jane here. They simply navigate the terrain of a male dominated realm, always covertly one step ahead.
I don’t know much about the female psyche, but I think chicks will identify with the young protagonist’s desire to escape from her harsh reality into a world of magic.