Pan's Labyrinth

We watched Pan's Labyrinth on the telly last night (recorded a few weeks ago). I had heard about it at the Oscars, and thought it was a movie about the fantastic world into which a little girl retreats to escape reality. What I didn't realise was that the reality she is running away from is the brutality of Spain in 1944 after the civil war, with her step-father a sadistic captain fighting rebels hidden in the mountains. Yes, there is a fantasy world and the special effects are wonderful, but the real world is depicted in stark detail too, so be warned - some scenes were so graphic I couldn't watch.

An excellent movie. Very dark. No happy ending. Well worth seeing, but don't expect to be uplifted - this is not Hollywood. And definitely not one for the children.