Produced by Pedro Almodóvar, Academy award nominated “Wild Tales” is an uproarious
exercise in cleverly calculated randomness. If that sounds like a paradox, it is because it is
one. Writer-director Damien Szifrón has constructed an unexpected collection of 6 satirical
short films which, when viewed together, tell the story of corruption and tension within
Argentine society.
By exploiting the unspoken “rules and regulations” of society such as etiquette and class,
Szifrón uses familiar character stereotypes to hilariously subvert power dynamics and
audience expectations. In this world, a businessman engages in road rage with a red neck, a
waitress serves rat poison to a mayor and a bride seeks life advice from a chef during her
wedding night. These characters and their painfully real interactions with unfortunate events
is where Szifrón strikes gold within the narrative, as we relate to their frustrations as if they
were our own. He explores the electric tension between the pairing of desire and restraint
and the ultimate catch 22 that unfolds when a character throws all inhibition to the wind. In
the world of “Wild Tales” anything is possible and consequence is a thing of the future.
In this way the film is rooted in the “now”, in the present moment. It owns each second on
screen and demands to be watched and felt, and like a good joke, “Wild Tales” has you
hanging out for the punch line. Visually, the film literally explodes on screen with a variety of
ridiculously novel scenarios and visual gags, my personal favourite being the opening
sequence which I won’t ruin for you.
“Wild Tales” almost applauds the irrational behaviours of the repressed responsible citizen
that lives in us all, and celebrates their bravery and solidarity as they defend themselves in a
world of chaos and corruption. The film ultimately empowers the viewer through the reckless
actions of the characters by using black humour to inject a certain irony and “humaness” into
the stories. “Wild Tales” is a success in storytelling and reclaims not only the repressed
individual, but also reclaims the format of the short film and reiterates their powerful
relevance in contemporary cinema.
4.5/ 5 stars