Il racconto dei racconti - Tale of Tales (2015) Reviews

• Beautiful cinematography, but highly dissatisfying!

  riasheridan-752472016-06-22

  Where do I start? Epic proportions both in the way this is beautifully filmed in the locations, costumes and attention to detail (worth watching for these things alone) and the length of the film (2 and a quarter, very long, hours.) Story is a mixture of several traditional Italian fairy tales with more than a sprinkling of sex and gore (Think Brothers Grimm meets Silence of the Lambs) Disturbing tales of human failings that start and stop throughout the film, picking up where they left off a few moments later. Some of them didn't have very satisfying conclusions and the ending was rather a let down (You would expect all the tales to come together at the end but they don't) Superb acting from all of the cast. Some relatively new faces that I am sure we will see again. All in all, worth a watch for the casting and production, but if this had been a book, I would have flung it across the room in frustration after the last page as the story promised so much more than the weak ending delivered.

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• Charmingly bleak compilation of twisted fairy tales.

  quincytheodore2015-09-07

  This is not your average princess and prince tales, it is a series of the grim version of myths without warm Disney filter. The multiple stories are woven together in one underlying tragic theme, occasionally wicked Tale of Tales is definitely not for children. The most vexing thing about it is not the scandalous tale, but the slow pacing as it tries to deliver three nearly horror stories. The focus continuously shifts between monarchs from three separate kingdoms. Each of them is affected by equally peculiar plaguing events. One queen's over protective nature rules over her senses, a king's lust leads to mishap in bed and a princess' wedding becomes malady as she faces an ogre as the groom. Its screenplay is mixed feeling of innocence remnant and utter perversion. There's a good quality of cast to ensure overall bizarre atmosphere, and make no mistake, these stories can be downright disturbing for some. The director even adds a couple gore scenes or rather appalling instances which are shockingly unexpected, even more so considering the colorful setting. Visual is very good, the medieval vibe simply oozes from the scenery. It resembles a lively stage for dramatic play yet feels convincingly dreadful enough. Production, from make-up and costume, looks captivating and sometimes intimidating. As many TV series or movies adapt modernization of fairy tales, this one is more memorable with the eccentric outlook and more modest on CGI usage. However, it can be a bit slow. The three stories span across more than two hours, so it takes its time. Fortunately, it sets the characters really well, but on the flip side, some of scenes feel plodding. Tales of Tales might resemble the iconic Pan's Labyrinth at some turns, although it's still not on such legendary stature. This movie is certainly not for everyone. The mixture of odd fables and near horror elements leave strange lasting trail, it might not be all merry party yet it's enigmatically and irresistibly bewitching.

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• A gorgeous and bloody anthology on love and obsession

  manus_nigra2015-05-19

  Using a traditional folklore anthology as guideline (XVII century "Lu cunto de li cunti" by Gian Battista Basile) Garrone puts on screen three gorgeous (loosely) intertwined stories that have for protagonists various Kings and Queens facing huge obsessions. - In one Salma Hayek and John C. Reilly are a royal couple that struggles to get an heir, until a mysterious cloaked man offers them a magical solution. The birth of the child will not be exactly as expected. - In another Vincent Cassel is a sex-maniac king that became obsessed by a mysterious woman with a beautiful voice. Her true identity is, well... complicated; and her desire to became queen will result in a magical help that will be for her both a blessing and a curse. - In the last story Toby Jones is a king so fascinated by a magical animal to neglect her only daughter Viola and her desire to marry. The death of the animal and the desperate need for affection of the king will result in a bizarre challenge that will mark a dire fate for the princess. Every story it's connected by the themes of blood and duplicity: how obsession seems like love and makes you do things without caring for the consequences. All this in a slow paced, softly spoken movie that suddenly outburst in tense scenes of violence, gore and horror; always gorgeous in its unique aesthetic based on the constant opposition between rich baroque splendor and poor barren settings. It may appear "bare" by the current standards of fantasy movies but that's exactly the point: this is not fantasy, it's folklore; even a grand task like slaying a sea dragon became trivial compared to the depths of human relationships.

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• Not your mother's fairy tales

  ferguson-62016-04-20

  Greetings again from the darkness. Fairy tales have long been a fruitful source for movie material. Some, like Disney productions, land gently on the family/children end of the scale; while others like the Brothers Grimm material are much darker and adult in nature. And now, along comes director Matteo Garrone and his blending of three stories loosely based on the 17th century tales published by Giambattista Basile … and "black comedy" falls short as a description. Mr. Garrone is best known for his chilling look at an Italian crime family in the award winning Gomorrah (2008), so a trilogy of demented monarchial fantasies may seem a bit outside his comfort zone … but grab ahold of your crown jewels and be ready for just about anything. A very strong opening leads us into the first story about a King (John C Reilly) and Queen (Salma Hayek) who are by no one's definition, the perfect couple. The Queen's inability to have children leads her to strike a deal with a Faustian seer who promises a baby to the royal couple. The only catch is that the King must kill a sea monster, and the Queen must eat its heart after it's properly prepared by a virgin. Yep, it's pretty dark and pretty odd. Of course, as with all actions, there are consequences (albino twins of different mothers) … some of which are not so wonderful. The second story involves a lecherous King (Vincent Cassel) who falls in love with a local woman based solely on her singing voice. Much deceit follows and the actions of two sisters (played by 3 actresses – Hayley Carmichael, Stacy Martin, Shirley Henderson) and some supernatural aging products lead to a twisty story of romance that can't possibly end well for anyone involved. The third of our 3-headed story is the strangest of all, as a King (Toby Jones) nurtures a pet flea until it grows to behemoth size. Yes, a pet flea would be considered unusual, but eclipsing even that in uniqueness is the King's willingness to offer the hand of his daughter (Bebe Cave) in marriage to a frightening ogre who lives a solitary life in the mountains. These three stories are interwoven so that we are bounced from one to another with little warning … which seems only fitting given the material. Knowing the theme of the three stories does not prepare one for the details – neither the comedy, nor the dramatic turns. All actors approach the material with deadpan seriousness which adds to the feeling of a Grimm Brothers and Monty Python mash-up. Alexandre Desplat provides the perfect score for this oddity, though the audience may be limited to those who can appreciate grotesque sequences assembled with the darkest of comedy. The moral to these stories may be difficult to quantify; however, it's a reminder that actions beget consequences no matter the time period.

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• Beautiful

  caterinamiriello2015-05-22

  This movie is a pure piece of beauty. The direction is amazing, the photography is beyond perfection and the music is inspiring. The locations are unusual and yet are all in Italy. Of course, since the movie is an intersection three fairy tales (not for children, as they're pretty harsh), don't expect the most intriguing plot ever, but its execution has been magistral. I did not give 10 because of the screenplay, which is sometimes a little predictable, and because of the acting, which is extremely heterogeneous across actors: great Salma Hayek, Toby Jones, John Reilly and the Lees brothers, but the others a little less. All in all, I definitely recommend to see this movie.

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