Watch Tale of Tales

Tale of Tales is a visually stunning and darkly fantastical movie from 2015 that weaves together three different fairy tales. The movie is directed by Matteo Garrone and stars an impressive cast of international actors, including Salma Hayek, Vincent Cassel, Toby Jones, and John C. Reilly. The first tale is about a queen (Hayek) who desperately desires a child and is willing to go to great lengths to have one. When a mysterious necromancer tells her that she can have a child if her husband (Cassel) kills a monstrous sea serpent, the queen eagerly agrees. However, the consequences of their actions are far-reaching and disturbing.

The second tale follows a lonely king (Jones) who becomes obsessed with a flea, which he raises and feeds until it becomes the size of a small dog. He organizes a tournament in which knights compete for the hand of his daughter (Bebe Cave), but she is more interested in a humble musician (Franco Pistoni) than any of the suitors her father has chosen.

The final tale tells the story of a king (Reilly) who is bewitched by the beauty and singing voice of an old woman (Hayley Carmichael). He forcibly marries her and keeps her locked away in a tower, and she discovers that she has the power to transform herself into a young and gorgeous woman (Stacy Martin). However, the consequences of her transformation are dire.

Although the movie is based on 17th-century Italian fairy tales, it has a timeless quality that feels both ancient and contemporary. The visuals are sumptuous and vivid, with costumes and sets that are opulent and intricate. The characters are memorable and unique, each struggling with their own desires and flaws. The themes of the movie are universal and thought-provoking, exploring questions of power, desire, mortality, and identity.

One of the most striking aspects of Tale of Tales is its willingness to push boundaries and explore darker themes than most fairy tales. The movie is by turns brutal, grotesque, and erotic, with scenes that are both beautiful and disturbing. It is not a movie for the faint of heart or those who prefer their fairy tales sanitized and predictable.

The cast is uniformly excellent, with each actor bringing depth and nuance to their roles. Hayek is particularly impressive as the queen who descends into madness, displaying vulnerability, rage, and despair in equal measure. Cassel is equally effective as her husband, a man torn between duty and desire. Jones brings a sense of whimsy and melancholy to his portrayal of the eccentric king, while Reilly is both comical and tragic as the king who is bewitched by beauty.

Overall, Tale of Tales is a mesmerizing and unforgettable movie that will stay with you long after the credits roll. It is a movie that rewards patience and attention, as the three tales slowly intertwine and reveal their connections. It is not a perfect movie, with some scenes feeling overly long or repetitive, but it is a bold and ambitious work of art that stands out in a sea of formulaic blockbuster fare. If you are looking for something different and daring, Tale of Tales is a movie that is definitely worth checking out.

Tale of Tales is a 2016 romance movie with a runtime of 2 hours and 14 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.4 and a MetaScore of 72.