Directed by:
Matteo GarroneCinematography:
Peter SuschitzkyComposer:
Alexandre DesplatCast:
Salma Hayek, Vincent Cassel, John C. Reilly, Stacy Martin, Shirley Henderson, Toby Jones, Alba Rohrwacher, Guillaume Delaunay, Bebe Cave, Giselda Volodi (more)VOD (2)
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Selected for Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival, Tale of Tales is an epic vision of cinema from Matteo Garrone (Gomorrah), inspired by the Italian fairytales of medieval Naples. From the bitter quest of a jealous Queen (Salma Hayek) who forfeits the life of her husband, to two mysterious sisters who provoke the passion of a King (Vincent Cassel), to a King obsessed with a giant Flea leading to heartbreak for his young daughter, these stories weave the beautiful with the grotesque, creating a stunning and unique work of gothic imagination. (Madman Entertainment)
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Reviews (8)
(50th KVIFF) A unique spectacle. A beautifully narrative film with breathtaking visuals, where in one moment you’ll be so surprised and dazzled by the beauty captured on screen that you won’t be able to look away. At times a cracking comedy that made the whole theatre burst in laughter, at times a brutal and scary horror flick. I don’t know which of the three stories I liked best because each one has something going for it. The Neapolitan fairy-tales are quite something. 85 %
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Fairy tales your mother never told you.. A great fairy tale three-part anthology with the beautiful exotic setting of Italy, gothic castles, breathtaking costumes, beautiful music, solid actors, but also purely morbid-horror elements that are breathtaking in their uniqueness. All three stories are original and have something to offer. I was most entertained by the crazy, horny Vincent Cassel with his harem and whores rolling around on the floor. Solid stuff. 80%.
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The only thing keeping it from perfection is a more expressive musical score and more spectacular set design. Script-wise, it's quite bold and coolly avoids schematic fairy tale narratives, which I definitely applaud. There is some tasteless nudity here and there (slightly evoking East German porn of the 80s), but it's probably worth noting that this depiction actually fits the overall decadent concept quite well. Original and self-conscious, quite non-mainstream, and wacky. Still, quite watchable.
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This is what fairytales would have been like if they hadn't been modified so that children wouldn't have lifelong trauma from them. This film brought stories that resonated with my present self simply because there was very little singing but a lot of medieval influence instead. If you are considering what to show your children, you'd better avoid this film unless you want to explain many unpleasant matters to them and, at worst, hire a therapist. For an experienced and emotionally worn-out viewer like me, it was an enjoyable experience full of the Italian perspective, very interesting costumes, and stories that amused me more than I had originally expected. / Lesson learned: When children are told fairytales with a happy ending, does it distort their view of reality? 4*+
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Watching Tale of Tales, I couldn't help but think of German Romanticism, the tales of the Brothers Grimm's or the texts of E.T.A. Hoffmann. Matteo Garrone's film is an evocative audio-visual spectacle with many wonderful locations and costumes that take the viewer back to a time long past, to a fairy tale world of kings, servants and various creatures. Each of the three stories appealed to me for its fantastical rawness and unpredictability. Despite its innocent title, this is definitely not a film for the youngest of audiences, children would quite possibly struggle with nightmares after the screening. A truly noteworthy film that, despite its "adult" treatment, retains its fairytale wisdom and lessons, like the struggle between good and evil, boundless selflessness, (un)safe love or the superficial judgement of "a book by its cover".
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