TALE OF TALES **

Not all fairy tales have happy endings. In his book "The Uses of Enchantment", Bruno Bettlelheim explored the darker, Freudian side of fairy-tales and Stephen Sondheim elaborated on Bettelheim's concept in his musical "Into the Woods". There are no real happy endings and things get very dark indeed in Italian director Matteo Garrone's English-language debut "Tale of Tales". These are fairy-
tales for grown-ups; this isn't a film for children.

There are three distinct tales running through the film, linked by the common theme of kings and kingdoms. Garrone serves up sea monsters and ogres, ugly sisters and a lot of jealousy. There is much blood-letting and, perhaps, more sex than we are used to in this sort of thing. It's highly imaginative and gorgeously designed and it constantly subverts our expectations. Good performances, too, from an international cast that includes Salma Hayek, Toby Jones, Vincent Cassel and John C Reilly. Not really the kind of thing that will go down well at the multiplex but the art-house crowd should lap it up.