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Wild Tales Movie Review

Wild Tales is a 2014 Argentine black comedy anthology film directed by Damien Szifron and starring Ricardo Darin among many others. It’s one of the best films of the year.

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“I gave you the best education

and you always did whatever you wanted

Now, go screw yourself“

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This movie proves that the anthology is a highly underappreciated format and it’s a shame that we are not getting more of these. This is an anthology consisting of six stories, all of which are excellent in their own right. They all share common themes that usually range from vengeance to the collective anger to the dangers of corruption and obsession.

The first story is set on a plane where the passengers quickly realize that all of them know the pilot. This is the story that works as a segment, but also as some kind of a prologue and introduction to the whole movie and it does that beautifully, instantly making you invested in the movie with its hilariously deranged scenario. And it ends with a bang, making for one of the best beginnings in recent memory.

The second story is also about revenge as the waitress suddenly sees the man who had hurt her family come at her restaurant and her planning and arguing with the cook whether or not to poison him. This is a story that continues the unhinged situations with a somewhat less wild premise, but very interesting and fascinating nevertheless. The character of the cook is very amusing and the ending was terrific. This is probably the funniest story of the bunch with some very strong dialogue.

The third story is about these two men driving on a highway where one man insults the other and must suffer the consequences later when his car stops. This is the segment that is not only the very best in the whole film, but also one of the most fascinating and jaw-dropping sequences in recent years. The sheer originality and evident craftsmanship in its execution is evident. It literally made me smile all the way and almost made me shout at all the things that started to happen in this pleasingly chaotic situation. This segment reminded me of Spielberg’s underrated gem ‘Duel’, though this one is ultimately quite different and much more deranged and graphic in its escalating violence.

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The fourth and fifth segments are my least favorite as they lacked the kinetic energy and memorable set pieces of the remaining stories, but both are still excellent. The former is about a man whose car is taken away while he’s preparing for his daughter’s birthday. By far the most universally relatable of all these stories, this one emphasizes just how frustrating bureaucracy can be to all of us and how they can lead us to total exhaustion. It’s one of those we have all been in this type of situation before stories and a great showcase of the director’s knack to make the most out of a very grounded and believable situation.

The latter segment is about a young man who hits a woman with a car and it is all about how his father tries to help him by hiring the lawyer and working up a plan. This one is all about corruption and how it plagues this country and the rest of the South American continent. You can always buy people, which this story so painfully illustrates.

The sixth and final story follows this crazy wedding where the wife learns that her husband has been cheating on her and it is undoubtedly the best segment after the third one of course. It is hilarious from start to finish, again filled with relatable but insane characters and a situation which is ripe for black comedy. It is so entertaining and funny that it flies by quickly and its conclusion is once again very original and wild to say the least. The director here depicted that some people have very different relationships than others and for some chaos and obsession drives these romances instead of tearing them apart.

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Wild Tales has phenomenal acting performances from its talented cast and it’s superbly directed by Damian Szifron. His directing is so propulsive and magnetic here that it’s a shame that he would never make another great film afterward. The soundtrack is a banger, the cinematography is so strong and the production design is quite opulent. It’s a technically astounding movie that flies by how fun it is, though of course it can be uneven in pacing and editing, but not as often as in other anthology films.

Propulsive editing, masterful directing and phenomenal acting made Wild Tales a true winner, but this Argentine anthology film is particularly notable for its superb writing. Every single one of its six stories is powerful and memorable in its own way with the third and the sixth stories taking the cake as the best of the bunch. They are all deftly connected thematically as they explore the dangers of corruption, obsession and the collective anger that plagues this country. Above all else, this is a hugely entertaining movie that is super stylish, smart and unique, which made it really stand out from other films of the time. It’s one of the greatest films of 2014.

My Rating – 4.5