I’ve got two new reviews up: "Letters from Iwo Jima" and "Pan’s Labyrinth"

CT Movies has just published my two newest reviews:

Letters from Iwo Jima

and

Pan’s Labyrinth.

One of them… and only one… will be in my year-end top ten.

No Responses to “I’ve got two new reviews up: "Letters from Iwo Jima" and "Pan’s Labyrinth"”

  1. Greg Says:

    Jeff,

    I think you’re right that Lewis would have liked del Toro’s film. Whether del Toro was impressed by Wardrobe or not, that book and del Toro’s film have a lot in common.

    I don’t think Tolkien would have been impressed, though, for the same reason that Lewis’ stuff bugged him: the mixture of fantasy with the real world. And as with Lewis’ fantasy, the real-world stuff in Labyrinth is too trivialized. For Tolkien, fantasy “cleaned our windows” without muddying them first.

  2. Greg Says:

    Jeff,

    I think you’re right that Lewis would have liked del Toro’s film. Whether del Toro was impressed by Wardrobe or not, that book and del Toro’s film have a lot in common.

    I don’t think Tolkien would have been impressed, though, for the same reason that Lewis’ stuff bugged him: the mixture of fantasy with the real world. And as with Lewis’ fantasy, the real-world stuff in Labyrinth is too trivialized. For Tolkien, fantasy “cleaned our windows” without muddying them first.

  3. Tim Frankovich Says:

    One, and only one, of those movies has now gone on my “to see” list. :)

    Good reviews both, though.

    One side comment: You wrote, “You might guess that Flags would be the film most likely to win acclaim at the upcoming Oscars.” Er, actually, I would EXPECT Letters to be much more likely to win acclaim at the Oscars. A movie that glorifies the enemy of America? Many in Hollywood act out of a desire to be seen as more “world-oriented” rather than “American.” This film gives them an ideal chance to demonstrate that. Just my opinion.

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