Tale of Tales
Directed by Matteo Garrone
Inspired by the celebrated fairytales by Giambattista Basile, Matteo Garrone’s TALE OF TALES is an epic vision of cinema. From the bitter quest of the Queen of Longtrellis (Salma Hayek) who forfeits the life of her husband (John C. Reilly), to two mysterious sisters who provoke the passion of the King of Strongcliff (Vincent Cassel), to the King of Highhills obsessed with a giant Flea (Toby Jones) leading to heartbreak for his young daughter, these stories weave the beautiful with the grotesque, creating a stunning and unique work of gothic imagination.
The film interweaves three separate story strands bookended by brief bits in which involves a street circus family, a jealous queen who forfeits her husband's life, and a king whose passion is stoked by two mysterious sisters.
Cast: Salma Hayek, Vincent Cassel, Toby Jones, John C. Reilly, Shirley Henderson
Member Reviews
Glad this one is back on Shudder. These are DARK fairy tales, some of which do fall under the horror label--a woman is flayed alive, how is that NOT horror? It's a very heavy "show don't tell film" where all the details matter, so if you're the type who can't keep off your phone, then yes, you won't be able to follow. All of the acting is great, the costumes are wonderful. The only drawback was the last story felt rushed at the end, and John C. Reily has less than 2 minutes of screentime.
Watched this movie several times. Love it!
A trio of grim fairy tales, very well made in a way that feels influenced by G. Del Toro. But like all anthology films, it's extremely uneven in storytelling. Only one tale — in which an unwilling princess is married off to an ogre — feels complete. The other two just sort of drift off. Excellent production and cast, but you'll be wishing for the better movie it easily could have been.
Masterpiece!
A special and unusual film. Fascinating.