WILD TALES : Sunday 21st June 2015.

'WILD TALES' is a Spanish & Argentinian collaboration released earlier this year and has been on a limited release in Australia for a few weeks now. Having seen the shorts I felt compelled to see this very black comedy film consisting six separate short stories that are linked only by the common theme running throughout. Directed by Damian Szifron this film cost US$3.5M to make and has so far grossed US$30M+ along the way picking up a swag of film awards and nominations - 23 and 42 respectively, including the Oscar nod for Best Foreign Language Film at this years ceremony.

Six films within a film then that are not linked, only by a common theme that connects them all. That theme is one of extreme acts of random violence, and what drives everyday individuals to conduct such acts. Whilst the subject matter is bleak, it is delivered in an intense, urgent, and at times comedic style that makes for compelling viewing and will leave you thinking about the characters, the situations they find themselves in and the actions they take as a result - often with dire consequences - well after the credits have rolled.

Those six subjects are 'Pasternak' - the first playing out in the opening sequence. Two passengers on a plane strike up a random conversation across the aisle from each other and as their conversation unfolds we learn they have a mutual acquaintance - Gabrielle Pasternak. One by one all passengers discover they are all linked in some way to Pasternak and so a state of mild panic breaks out at 30,000 feet, when the trolley dolly announces that Pasternak is the purser in the cockpit and he has locked the door as the plane nose dives towards a suburban house.

Then we have 'The Rats' - as a lone drivers pulls up to a road side diner late at night, wanting to eat. As the waitress takes his order she recognises him as a loan shark who ruined her family with tragic consequences. Telling the story to the cook back in the kitchen, the cook offers to put rat poison in the diners eggs and chips but the waitress declines the offer fearing the repercussions . . . but the cook does it anyway and he tucks in to his supper. Then the diners son arrives and tucks into some of the chips. As the waitress tries to retrieve the plate and prevent them from eating more, the diners gets aggravated and angry, and so the cooks stabs him multiple times with a Chef's Knife. The son looks on, and vomits!

Next up in 'The Strongest' set along a fairly deserted winding and beautiful mountain road. Behind the wheel of a new Audi Coupe is a corporate type approaching some local hillbilly driving a shit box who refuses to let the Audi pass. Eventually, the Audi squeezes by shouting abuse out of the window and giving the hillbilly the bird. Further down the road the Audi blows a tyre and pulling up to the side of the road the driver gets out to replace the tyre, as the hillbilly ambles by, reversing his car up right to the front of the Audi so that it cannot be driven away. Fearing the worst the Audi driver gets back into his car and engages the central locking. By now the hillbilly smashes the windscreen with the car jack and then takes a crap and a piss over the broken windshield. What follows is a tit for tat exchange of words and actions that results in one of the most real, raw, intense, urgent and immediate close quarter fight scenes that I have seen on screen for a very long time. The consequences of this do not end well for either, and for me, this segment was the highlight of the film.

'Little Bomb' comes next that sees an explosives demolition expert pushed to the edge as a result of a parking infringement in which his car is towed away from an unrestricted zone he believes. Seeking recompense from the towing company by way of a refund for the fine and payment in respect of his lost time, inconvenience that caused him to miss his daughters birthday, his crumbling marriage and the sheer injustice of it all that no one it seems is prepared to accept. Creating a storm that is captured on CCTV and then makes news headlines he is fired from his job, and going for an interview his car gets towed again. Knowing something about explosives he hatches a plan that will give him the revenge he is seeking on the towing company, and so engineers for his car to be towed once more.

'The Proposal' sees a BMW returning home early one morning with a broken grille and a dislodged and bloodied number plate. A young man was behind the wheel and we learn later in the day that a hit & run driver has killed a pregnant woman in the early hours of the morning - the husband swears revenge on live TV. Distraught, the grieving young man confesses to his father - a wealthy businessman, who immediately calls his lawyer. They hatch a plan convincing the long term family gardener to take the rap for the crime to save the son . . . in exchange for $500K and a likely sentence of just a few years. The prosecuting officer believes that things don't add up with the gardener, and so offers to cut a deal with the father and his lawyer . . . in exchange for a large sum of money. With the other parties all wanting more money because of the growing risk and the son then deciding to confess to the press, the father gets jack of it all and takes the money off the table. Some intense negotiations follow and as the gardener is bundled out to a waiting police car with his head covered the grieving husband awaits clutching a hammer.

Finally 'Until Death Do Us Part' rounds out this package and is the story of a woman scorned . . . on her wedding day. Celebrating with family and friends at the Reception the bride discovers that her new husband may have had some previous shenanigans with a very attractive work colleague who just happens to be a guest at the wedding. Not too impressed with this news the tensions in front of the gathered guests become more and more strained as the evening wears on resulting in a violent clash on the dance floor between new wife and former lover. Swearing to make her new husbands life a living hell for all eternity, it's get worse before it gets better - and better it does in a most public way!

This is a great film that I really enjoyed and could relate to in terms of the situations that led to the extreme acts that unfold on screen. Strong stories, believably acted, deftly Directed and delivered with irony and satire that lifts this film to another level still. Catch it soon - you won't be disappointed. 'Wild Tales' is another very sold offering in this years foreign language films released so far.









-Steve, at Odeon Online-