Pan's Labyrinth

Here's the reason why I give 5-stars to this movie, & even include it into "my favorite movie" list :

This movie , at a 1st glance & basic-level, is basically a simple story (okay, it's mainly drama, but a very 'imaginative & magical' drama! Very few actions. Sorry, action-movie folks!) about a young little girl who is can 'seemingly' see the unknown "Magical World" just 'beneath' her hard Reality-ground!

*This is probably gonna be SPOILER to those who haven't watched! Be warned!*
So while she's living in a seemingly World-War period (also something about war with Communist, in Spain!? i'm not really a history freak...) 'harsh-Reality' setting, and while the other grown-ups people have to face the hardships & painful struggles (& even, *gasp*, Tortures! yes, this movie is full of it! it's all due to the main antagonist "hitler-like" dictator character!) daily, and often can only either succumb, give-up to that Dicator Kapiten, ..or DIE painfully ; yet this young little-girl can somehow live 'ONE-layer' other than that "harsh-Reality" layer, as it's shown beautifully, & magically (kudos to the Writer, for making such a - although not many times shown - very imaginary & out-of-this-world "magical" creatures, 1 COOL monster, & world!

So in its very basic , the movie is all about: Reality .vs. Fantasy !BUT,..if only you watch until the VERY END of the movie,..then you'll be FREE to do more 'deeper' analysis & pondering of the movie, ....and if you're like me, you'll see that this movie is WAY

MORE than the initial-seemingly "Reality .vs. Fantasy" notion! No.The movie has a DEEPER meaning carried with it! .and only then,you'll appreciate & be astonished verily by the ending, & the WHOLE movie! *hint* : the movie has a LOT to do with one particular Religion! (ie: from symbols, message,meanings, etc)

Babel

A very deep movie with underlying theme: Pain is universal, and Human beings is very fragile...What I like so much about this movie (no wonder it's nominated Best Picture, & many other awards), is how the director shoots the movie from 4 different locations in the World. We have Marocco, US, Mexico, & Japan ; each with their own teams of production. And each country, with its own story,...all finally seems to have a beautifully-depicted underlying theme, that Pain is universal in this Planet & life, regardless of the distance, status, wealth, & race.

Also we can learn a lot from this movie about many other's interesting daily-life cultures, aside from US only (US audience most probably would find this movie very interesting, to understand better 'bout OTHER cultures, outside their country. And also send them messages that "they are NOT the only country in this whole world! open ur eyes!").

Especially very eye-catching & interesting for me, is the 'abstract', musical & endless-varieties culture on Japan. And this is told, ironically, from a deaf-mute girl in this Modern & sophisticated country. Even she HAS problems, in this advanced country!

The music , consisting mainly of one-guitar piece, just adds the intensity & can make us reflect & ponder more....about this Human-Life & its barriers. If there's one thing we can learn from this movie, is that: Human beings is very fragile. There's no need to be proud of ourselves...