Wild Tales (film)

Wild Tales

Argentine theatrical release poster
Directed by Damián Szifron
Produced by
Written by Damián Szifron
Starring
Music by Gustavo Santaolalla
Cinematography Javier Juliá
Edited by
  • Pablo Barbieri Carrera
  • Damián Szifron
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Sogefilms
Release dates
  • 17 May 2014 (2014-05-17) (Cannes)
  • 21 August 2014 (2014-08-21) (Argentina)
Running time
 122 minutes[1]
Country
  • Argentina
  • Spain
Language Spanish
Budget $3.3 million[2]
Box office $27 million[3]

Wild Tales (Spanish: Relatos salvajes) is a 2014 Argentine-Spanish black comedy anthology film composed of six standalone shorts, all written and directed by Damián Szifron, united by a common theme of violence and vengeance.

It stars an ensemble cast consisting of Ricardo Darín, Oscar Martínez, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Érica Rivas, Rita Cortese, Julieta Zylberberg, and Darío Grandinetti, and was co-produced by Agustín Almodóvar and Pedro Almodóvar. The film's musical score was composed by Gustavo Santaolalla. It was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards, and won the Best Film Not in the English Language at the 69th British Academy Film Awards.

Plot

"Pasternak"

Two airplane passengers discover that they know a man named Pasternak: the woman is his former girlfriend, and the man is a music critic who savagely reviewed his work. They discover that everybody on the flight is connected to Pasternak, and all of their relationships with him ended negatively. An air stewardess reveals that Pasternak is the plane's cabin chief and has locked himself into the cockpit. Pasternak crashes the plane into his parents' house.

"Las Ratas" ("The Rats")

A loan shark stops at a small restaurant by a highway. The waitress recognizes him as a man who ruined her family. She refuses the cook's offer to mix rat poison in his food, but the cook adds the poison anyway. When the man's son arrives and eats the same food, the waitress tries to take the poisoned food away. The man attacks her, but the cook kills him with a chef's knife. The son vomits and the police arrest the cook.

"El más fuerte" ("The Strongest")

Diego is driving through the desert and tries to overtake a slower, older car, but it blocks him. As he finally passes, Diego insults the other driver, Mario. Further up the road, Diego gets a flat tire and Mario catches up. Mario parks his car in front of Diego's, blocking him; he smashes his windshield and defecates and urinates on his roof. Diego pushes Mario and his car into the river and drives off. Mario survives and Diego returns to run him down, but loses control and crashes into the river. Mario enters Diego's car through the trunk and they fight; Mario leaves Diego strangling by a seatbelt, then lights part of his ripped shirt and places it in the gas tank. Diego grabs Mario and prevents him escaping. A tow truck driver arrives as the car explodes. The police discover two charred bodies holding each other.

"Bombita" ("Little Bomb")

Simón Fischer, a demolitions expert, picks up a cake for his daughter's birthday party and discovers his car has been towed away. He goes to the towed-car lot and argues, insisting there were no yellow lines indicating no parking, but to no avail. He pays the towing fee and misses his daughter's party. The next day, when he is again refused a refund, he attacks the glass partition and is arrested. The story makes the news and Fischer's company fires him. His wife seeks a divorce and sole custody of their daughter. Fischer applies unsuccessfully for a job and discovers his car has been towed again. He retrieves the car and packs it with explosives in a tow zone. After it is towed again, he detonates the explosives, destroying the towing office with no casualties. Fischer is imprisoned and becomes a local hero, with calls on social media for his release. His wife and daughter visit him in prison for his birthday, bringing him a cake in the form of a tow truck.

"La Propuesta" ("The Proposal")

A teenager, in his father's car, arrives home after doing a hit-and-run on a pregnant woman. On the local news, the woman and child are reported dead, and her husband swears vengeance. The driver's father forms a plan with his lawyer to have their groundskeeper Jose take the blame for half a million dollars. The local prosecutor sees through the scheme because the car's mirrors were not adjusted for the caretaker. The lawyer negotiates to include the prosecutor in the deal for more money. The caretaker asks for an apartment along with his money, and the prosecutor asks for an additional payment to pay off the police. The guilty son says he wants to confess to the gathered crowd. Frustrated, the father calls off the deal, telling his son to confess. The lawyer renegotiates and the father agrees on a lower price. As Jose is taken away by the police, the dead woman's husband hits him on the head with a hammer.

"Hasta que la muerte nos separe" ("Until Death Do Us Part")

At a Jewish wedding[4] party, the bride, Romina, discovers that her groom, Ariel, has cheated on her with one of the guests. She confronts him as they dance in front of everyone, and runs off in distress to the roof, where a kitchen worker comforts her. Ariel discovers her having sex with the worker. She vindictively announces to him that she will sleep with every man who shows her interest, and take him for all he is worth if he tries to divorce her, or when he dies. They return to the party and continue the festivities. Romina pulls the woman Ariel slept with onto the dance floor, spins her round, and slams her into a mirror. She insists that the photographer film Ariel and his mother weeping, declaring that she will show it at a future wedding. The mother attacks her, and is pulled off by her husband and Romina's father; Romina collapses. Ariel approaches her and extends a hand. They dance, kiss, and begin to have sex by the cake as the guests leave.

Production

While writing short stories just to "let off steam", the director Damián Szifron felt the plot of a film was emerging.[5] There were initially 12 tales, out of which he chose the "wilder" ones.[6] At first, all stories were written as independent ones, and each of them could have been made into a film, affirmed Szifron. However, he thought that grouped they would have more impact so he decided to "reduce the conflicts to its minimum and find their climaxes."[7] Although very different among them, all stories "are vital organs of the same body" that sustain the film[8] and "together [they] are more robust and make a larger universe".[7] Anyway, the director said the film strength is not in the connection the accounts have. He asserted that "they are independent stories, with separate independent characters and conflicts".[7]

Despite the clear common theme of violence and vengeance,[9][10] what connects the accounts, according to the director, is "the fuzzy boundary that separates civilization from barbarism, the vertigo of losing your temper, and the undeniable pleasure of losing control".[11] This is explored through the concept that human beings have animalistic features. Szifron considers the main differentiator between human and animals is the capacity one has to restrain oneself as opposed to animals who are guided by their instincts. Humans "have a fight or flee mechanism, but it comes with a very high cost. Most of us live with the frustration of having to repress oneself, but some people explode. This is a movie about those who explode". Ultimately, it deals with "daily life" aspects and "is a movie about the desire for freedom, and how this lack of freedom, and the rage and anguish it produces, can cause us to run off the rails."[8]

A co-production between Argentina and Spain, Kramer & Sigman Films was one of the leading producing companies along with the Spanish company El Deseo, owned by Augustín and Pedro Almodóvar. The film was shoting between April and June 2013 and had locations in cities of Buenos Aires, Salta and Jujuy provinces.[11][7] The third act was especifically filmed on the route that connects Salta and Cafayate[12] because, as Szifron declared, "the script required a desolate route with stunning scenery and degrees of sobriety" to have a contrast between the violence of the fight and the beauty of the environment.[13]

Release and reception

Accolades and public reception

The film was seen by more than two million spectators in the first 24 days after the premiere. As of September 2014, it became the most seen film in Argentina in the year, on show in 275 cinemas in the country. With 274,042 spectators over the 11–14 September weekend, it outmatched Hercules, the second most-seen film, which had 78,546 spectators.[14] By the end of its run in Argentina it was estimated that it had sold more than 500,000 tickets, making it the most-seen Argentine film of all time.[15]

The film was received with acclaim at Cannes,[16] and had a ten-minute standing ovation.[17] The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.[18] It was also scheduled to be screened in the Special Presentations section of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.[19] The film was screened in the Pearls section of the 2014 San Sebastián International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Best European Film.[20] In February 2016, it won the award for the Best Non-English Language Film at the BAFTA Awards.[21]

List of awards and nominations
Award Category Recipients Result
Academy Awards[22][23] Best Foreign Language Film Wild Tales Nominated
Ariel Awards Best Ibero-American Film Wild Tales Won
Biarritz Film Festival Audience Award Wild Tales Won
Best Actress Erica Rivas Won
British Academy Film Award[21] Best Film Not in the English Language Wild Tales Won
Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or Wild Tales Nominated
Critics' Choice Movie Award Best Foreign Language Film Wild Tales Nominated
Goya Awards Best Film Wild Tales Nominated
Best Director Damián Szifron Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Damián Szifron Nominated
Best Actor Ricardo Darín Nominated
Best Original Score Gustavo Santaolalla Nominated
Best Editing Pablo Barbieri, Damián Szifron Nominated
Best Production Supervision Esther Garcia Nominated
Best Makeup and Hairstyles Marisa Amenta, Néstor Burgos Nominated
Best Spanish Language Foreign Film Wild Tales Won
Platino Awards Best Ibero-American Film Wild Tales Won
Best Director Damián Szifron Won
Best Screenplay Damián Szifron Won
Best Actor Leonardo Sbaraglia Nominated
Best Actress Erica Rivas Won
Best Original Music Gustavo Santaolalla Won
Best Film Editing Damián Szifron, Pablo Barbieri Won
Best Art Direction Clara Notari Won
Best Cinematography Javier Juliá Nominated
Best Sound José Luis Díaz Won
Satellite Award Best Foreign Language Film Wild Tales Nominated
San Sebastián Film Festival Audience Award for Best European Film Wild Tales Won
Sarajevo Film Festival Audience Award Wild Tales Won
Silver Condor Awards Best Film Wild Tales Nominated
Best Director Damián Szifron Won
Best Supporting Actor Oscar Martínez Won
Best Supporting Actress Erica Rivas Won
Rita Cortese Nominated
Best New Actor Diego Gentilez Won
Best Original Screenplay Damián Szifron Nominated
Best Cinematography Javier Juliá Nominated
Best Editing Damián Szifron, Pablo Barbieri Won
Best Original Music Gustavo Santaolalla Won
Best Sound José Luis Díaz Won
Sur Awards Best Film Wild Tales Won
Best Director Damián Szifron Won
Best Actor Ricardo Darín Nominated
Oscar Martínez Won
Leonardo Sbaraglia Nominated
Best Actress Erica Rivas Won
Rita Cortese Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Germán De Silva Won
Diego Gentile Nominated
Osmar Núñez Nominated
Best Supporting Actress María Onetto Nominated
Best New Actor Diego Velázquez Nominated
Walter Donado Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Damián Szifron Won
Best Cinematography Javier Juliá Won
Best Editing Damián Szifron, Pablo Barbieri Won
Best Art Direction Clara Notari Nominated
Best Costume Design Ruth Fischerman Nominated
Best Original Music Gustavo Santaolalla Won
Best Sound José Luis Díaz Won
Best Make Up Marisa Amenta Nominated
WAFCA Awards Best Foreign Language Film Wild Tales Nominated

Critical reception

The film was well received by Argentine critics, which Clarín described as "a phenomenal reception".[24] The newspaper itself gave a positive review through its commentator Pablo O. Scholz, who said "The film pulls us into since the start until the end". Although he commented each story tone is different, Scholz said the "tension ... never decays, and keeps the viewer with a knot in the stomatch for two hours".[24]

On Rotten Tomatoes, based on 134 reviews, Wild Tales holds a 95% 'fresh' rating, with an average score of 8/10, and with the critical consensus being: "Wickedly hilarious and delightfully deranged, Wild Tales is a subversive satire that doubles as a uniformly entertaining anthology film".[25] Metacritic reports an average score of 77, based on 33 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[26] Time's commentator Richard Corliss elected it the ninth best film of the year of 2014. Comparing the film to an Ambrose Bierce and Roald Dahl story, Corliss also called it "the year's most fearlessly funny film".[27] Both in Europe and Latin America film critics dubbed it "Characters on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown", alluding to Almodóvar's Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, which Almodóvar considered a fair comparison.[8]

Legacy

After the 2015 crash of Germanwings Flight 9525, BFI and Curzon cinemas modified their home cinema listings of this film stating that there was a similarity between the fictional crash at the start of the film and the real Germanwings crash.[28]

The New York Times reported it became "a genuine social phenomenon" and some characters gained a cult status. For example, it inspired "I am Bombita" to become a catchphrase similar to "going postal" in the United States. Rivas, from the last story, said she is stopped at streets and requested several times to speak "Film this for me, Nestor!".[8] It has also sparked debates for its "sociological and political side", according to La Capital that promoted a debate with sociologists after reporting the general public reaction was to say "The phenomena are not explained".[29]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Wild Tales (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 5 December 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  2. ↑ "COMIENZA EL RODAJE DE LA PELÍCULA "RELATOS SALVAJES", COPRODUCCIÓN ENTRE ESPAÑA Y ARGENTINA". El blog del cine español. 23 March 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  3. ↑ "Wild Tales (2015)". Box Office Mojo. 20 February 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  4. ↑ Goldmann, AJ (19 June 2014). "Kafkaesque 'Wild Tales' Is Jewish Film from Argentina Inspired by Steven Spielberg". Forward. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  5. ↑ "Competition – Wild Tales: a waltz in six movements". festival-cannes.com. 17 May 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  6. ↑ "Press Conference – Damián Szifron: "I think of myself as quite normal, I promise"". festival-cannes.com. 17 May 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Brega, Nazareno (7 June 2013). "Damián Szifrón: "Es lo más oscuro que he hecho"" [It is the darkest [work] I've done]. Los Andes (in Spanish). Grupo Clarín. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Rother, Larry (12 February 2015). "The Making of 'Wild Tales,' an Oscar Nominee". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  9. ↑ Weissberg, Jay (16 May 2014). "Cannes Film Review: ‘Wild Tales’". Variety. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  10. ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (17 May 2014). "Cannes 2014: Wild Tales review - Argentinian portmanteau movie is a tinderbox of delights". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  11. 1 2 "El lado salvaje de Damián Szifrón" [The wild side of amián Szifrón]. Los Andes (in Spanish). Grupo Clarín. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  12. ↑ Arrascaeta, Germán (28 February 2015). "De domador de animales a actor: la historia detrás de Walter Donado de "Relatos Salvajes"" [From tamer to actor: the history behind Wlater Donado of "Wild Tales"]. La Voz del Interior (in Spanish). Grupo Clarín. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  13. ↑ "El relato en la voz de Szifrón y Sbaraglia" [The report in the voice of Szifrón and Sbaraglia]. Informate Salta (in Spanish). Troka Comunicadores. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  14. ↑ ""Relatos Salvajes" es la película más vista del año" ["Wild Tales" is the most seen film of the year] (in Spanish). Cadena 3. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  15. ↑ Slater, Russ (25 March 2015). "Hit Argentine Film Wild Tales In UK Cinemas". Sounds and Colours. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  16. ↑ Sage, Alexandria (17 May 2014). "REFILE-Revenge comedy a hit in Cannes, fashion biopic cold-shouldered". Reuters. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  17. ↑ Scholz, Pablo O. (18 May 2014). "Diez minutos de aplausos para una película argentina en Cannes" [A ten-minute applause for an Argentine film in Cannes]. Clarín (in Spanish). Grupo Clarín. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  18. ↑ "2014 Official Selection". Cannes. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  19. ↑ "Toronto Film Festival Lineup". Variety. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  20. ↑ ""Relatos salvajes," awarded in San Sebastian". Télam. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  21. 1 2 "Bafta Film Awards 2016: Winners". BBC News. 14 February 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  22. ↑ "Oscars: Argentina Picks 'Wild Tales' for Foreign Language Category". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  23. ↑ "Oscar Nominations 2015: See The Full List". Huffington Post. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  24. 1 2 Scholz, Pablo O. (18 May 2014). "Un filme que lleva la tensión hasta lo máximo" [A film that brings tension to the utmost]. Clarín (in Spanish).
  25. ↑ "Wild Tales". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  26. ↑ "Wild Tales". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  27. ↑ Corliss, Richard (2 December 2014). "Top 10 Best Movies". Time. Time Inc. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  28. ↑ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (31 March 2015). "Wild Tales has disclaimer added after similarity to Germanwings crash". Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  29. ↑ ""Relatos salvajes", el fenómeno que invita al debate social" ["Wild Tales", the phenomena that invites to the social debate]. La Capital (in Spanish). Uno Multimedios. 7 September 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2016.

External links

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