Tale of Tales is a screen adaptation based on collections of tales by Neapolitan poet and courtier Giambattista Basile: Pentamerone or Lo cunto de li cunti (Tale of Tales, or Entertainment for Little Ones) which contains the earliest versions of famous fables like Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. The three tales are La Cerva Fatata (The Enchanted Doe), La Pulce (The Flea), La Vecchia Scorticata (The Flayed Old Lady). An Italian-French-British fantasy horror film, in English.
The film is inspired by the fairytales by Giambattista Basile, centering on the rulers of three neighboring kingdoms put to the test when magic enters the picture. Hayek plays a happy queen who is living unhappily until an ominous figure offers a dangerous bargain. – Variety
Peter Debruge of Variety gave the film a strong review, calling it a “lavishly realized and long-overdue adaptation.”
This is a breathtaking film for those who still believe in the power of imagination, who haven’t given all of it over to artists who do the work for you. It is about opening hidden doors and climbing upside-down staircases, about losing control when we try to manage fate. Most of all it is a reminder that the fairy tale, above all other things, still retains its power to shock, dazzle, teach and entertain. – The Wrap
Starring Salma Hayek, Vincent Cassel, Toby Jones and John C Reilly.
Not suitable for children.