Movie review: ‘Tale of Tales' benefits from warped sense of humor
Before falling apart in its final reel, Matteo Garrone's imaginative "Tale of Tales" proves a visually arresting, narratively captivating rendering of the 17th-century works of Italian folklorist Giambattista Basile. It's a woman-eat-sea-monster world of harlequins and fools exhibiting supercilious silliness in unhealthy pursuit of various forms of self-gratification, be it through a gargantuan pet flea or a sex-crazed, half-witted king.
Drawn from Basile's posthumously published "Il Pentamerone" (1634) — a collection of 49 dark, disturbing fairy tales that would go on to influence the Brothers Grimm — "Tale of Tales" benefits immensely from the warped sense of humor of Garrone (the bloody Italian-mob hit, "Gomorrah"), a director deft at soliciting laughs from tragedy.
For brevity's sake, he and his trio of fellow screenwriters, narrow their focus down to just three of Basile's morality tales, each offering — for the most part — a well-woven exploration of royals clashing either with their offspring, and/or their pauper subjects. And in each case, magic plays a vital row. It's like "Into the Woods" without the Broadway tunes. Yet it's every bit as star-studded, with the likes of John C. Reilly, Salma Hayek, Vincent Cassel and Tobey Jones playing self-serving monarchs precariously overseeing their subjects.
Of the three, the most stirring tale features Reilly and Hayek as childless rulers who would give their kingdom to be blessed with an heir. But as with the sexually frustrated kings of neighboring Strongcliff (Cassel) and Highhills (Jones), it's a case of being careful of what you wish for, as each promise of happiness carries with it the caveat of death. To whom the Reaper will visit, I will not say. Just know that before "Tale of Tales" runs its gorgeously gruesome course, a woman will be voluntarily flayed, another carried off to a cave by a very un-Shrek-like ogre and various monsters will meet their end by evisceration and decapitation. So, definitely not for the kids.
Adults, however, will likely delight in the strange, intoxicating world Garrone and his crew have created for their left-of-center characters, most of whom are human in nature, but monstrous in their pursuits of getting exactly what they want. Not that there's a lack of empathy; you just wish they'd go about their pursuits in a more compassionate way. But, then, it wouldn't be as much fun watching these royal pains self-destruct. Or, as cathartic for us poor folks to feed our schadenfreude by watching the stinking rich, for once, get what's coming.
Yes, fate is fickle. Just ask Violet (Bebe Cave), the princess of Highhills, whose creepy, munchkin father babies his mutant pet flea but offers little assistance in her quest to find a handsome prince to sweep her away. Same for the shriveled crone Dora (Hayley Carmichael), who against the determined wishes of her sister, Imma (Shirley Henderson), schemes to trick the pedophile King of Strongcliff to sleep with her, even if it means selling her soul to regain her youth. And, saddest of all, Elias (Christian Lees), the albino son who shuns his queen mother in favor of the teen's pauper look-alike "brother" (Jonah Lees) whom her majesty abhors.
The acting, down to the bit players, is outstanding, and that includes Stacy Martin, who recovers from the conflagration that was Lars von Trier's "Nymphomaniac" to dazzle as a damsel made beautiful — and gloriously naked — by a passing witch. The only thing more lovely are the sumptuous sets designed by Dimitri Capuani and resplendently captured by cinematographer Peter Suschitzky. The result is a lived-in surreal world where castles and Ray Harryhausen-type creatures tower over the seriously flawed humanity that is fairyland. And it's transporting — while it lasts. Where "Tale of Tales" begins to fall apart is when the time arrives for the film's quartet of writers to tie the knots and wrap up the tales inside a resonating moral. But by then, their film has become too unwieldly, a monster — if you will — they can no longer tame. And while it's not a killer, it's not happily ever after, either. It's like your life: Grand and beautiful — until you run out of gas.
"Tale of Tales"
Cast includes Salma Hayek, Vincent Cassel, Toby Jones and John C. Reilly.
(Not rated)
Grade: B