Tale of Tales

Starring Salma Hayak, Vincent Cassell, Toby Jones and John C. Reilly
Written by Edoardo Albinati, Ugo, Chiti, Matteo Garrone and Massimo Gaudioso
Directed by Matteo Garrone
Italy/France/United Kingdom 2015
134 mins

The Acton Film Club started in 2009 and we are screening a film that may have gone under your radar from every year since we began - this time 2015.

Matteo Garrone burst onto the scene in 2008 with his gritty, documentary style feature 'Gomorrah' set around Naples and detailing the activities of the Camorra - a traditional Mafia style criminal syndicate. The film was unflinching in its depiction of the ruthless violence of its protagonists in one of Italy's poorest and most deprived areas.

His next film 'Reality' - set in the world of tabloid TV - won the Grand Prix at Cannes. In 'Tale of Tales' Garrone heads in a very different direction - taking the writings of Giambattista Basile - a 17th century poet and collector of fairy stories - to create a portmanteau collection of fantastical tales - strange, funny, sometimes lurid and always entertaining. The style is inflected by Chaucer, Boccacio and The Brothers Grimm - with kings, queens, courtiers and peasants caught up in the most weird and wonderful situations. A strain of dark humour is to be found throughout - with a gifted international cast making the most of their roles.

Gorgeously lensed by Peter Suschitzky and with a lush score by Alexandre Desplat - "Tale Of Tales' was seen by too few people on release. It is a marvellous, eccentric melange of a movie which will leave you smiling and possibly a little disturbed...