Tale of Tales [DVD]

Sea monsters, monarchs, ogres, and sorcerers collide in this epic film from the visionary director of Gomorrah. Based on three spellbinding stories of magic and the macabre by 17th-century folklorist Giambattista Basile, Tale of Tales unleashes a barrage of mind-bogglingly gorgeous and fantastical imagery as it brings to life the misadventures of three kings. In the kingdom of Longtrellis, the King (John C. Reilly) and his Queen (Salma Hayek) attempt to conceive a child through very unusual means. Meanwhile, in Highhills, the none-too-bright monarch (Toby Jones) marries his daughter off to a brutal ogre while developing a strange obsession with breeding a giant flea. At the same time, the sex-obsessed ruler of Strongcliff (Vincent Cassel) is in for a shock when the woman with whom he falls in love is not quite what she seems. Overflowing with surreal, dazzling surprises, this intoxicating cinematic spectacle is a delirious excursion into the dark heart of fairy tales.