Writer, director, and producer Guillermo Del Toro's newest film is both terrifying and deeply inspiring. The fantasy horror film, nominated for six academy awards including Best Foreign Picture, takes place in the lush forests of a newly Franco-governed Spain in 1944. A young girl, Ofelia, travels with her mother to meet her new stepfather, captain of a remote outpost keep stationed to defeat the remaining guerilla revolutionaries.
Within the first 30 seconds of watching Insomnia you get the impression that it is one of those Criterion releases that is worth the higher DVD price. Opening with a grainy montage reminiscent of Seven, Norwegian Erik Skjoldbjaerg’s impressive directorial debut is a darker and more intelligent film than the later remake starring Al Pacino with which Americans are familiar.
An enduring gem of the film festival circuit is the less glitzy but audience-centric Chicago International Film Festival. In its 42nd year, North America’s oldest competitive film festival focuses on showcasing the best films on the festival circuit in contrast to the hyped "World Premieres" of Toronto and Cannes.
This year’s fest started with a bang, an opening night ceremony hosted by Spike Lee at the historic Chicago Theatre. The event honored Dustin Hoffman with a Career Achievement Award followed by a special screening of his upcoming film, Stranger Than Fiction, a new Chicago-based comedy directed by Marc Foster (Monster’s Ball, Finding Neverland).
Rated R, Spanish with English subtitles 
An enduring gem of the film festival circuit is the less glitzy but audience-centric Chicago International Film Festival. In its 42nd year, North America’s oldest competitive film festival focuses on showcasing the best films on the festival circuit in contrast to the hyped "World Premieres" of Toronto and Cannes.
