Reviews

I only saw this film because I am a del Toro fan--Pan's Labyrinth is my favorite movie. While Crimson Peak does not come anywhere near the quality of Labyrinth in terms of the script, it still showcases del Toro's unique skill for beauty and suspense.

The sets, costumes and general atmosphere are sumptuous in that signature del Toro way. The luxurious train on the heroine's robe that audibly thumps behind her as she sweeps down the staircase? Yes, please. There is a nod to all the images our minds ever conjured while reading fairy tales. The rich colors, the music, the textures all help draw us in to this world and settle us in for the story.

The film is not without its flaws. There are a few glaring plot contrivances that had me groaning. There is a superficial quality to the scenes involving Thomas Sharpe's clay mining business.

I was impressed with Jessica Chastain's talent for conveying two conflicting emotions at once, all playing out on her face, reminiscent of Gillian Anderson in Bleak House.

I was spellbound in the opening moments of this suspenseful, romantic modern day adaptation of a timeless classic. The challenge of bringing any literary masterpiece to the screen is in translating the beauty of the writing to a visual medium. This film uses stunning images and soulful direction to tell the centuries-old story of the struggle between innocence and corruption, creativity and destruction, love and obsession.

An atmosphere of intrigue surrounds the disappearance of Esmeralda, a beautiful street dancer menaced by a tormented priest. A vagabond poet is the only person on the scene when Esmeralda's streetwise underground compatriots show up to investigate. Is he just a bystander or does he know more than he's telling? The language is smart, evocative, lyrical. The classic is updated with a talented international cast. They could be in the back-streets and alleyways of any modern American city.