The Tale (2018)

I love this movie so much

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Admirable film.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I feel grateful that the director had the courage needed to share this tale with us. I felt emotionally richer for the experience and couldn't rate it any less then 10 as it was so authentic and valuable in that regard. Difficult to watch but not a tear jerker at all, just completely honest.Yet again, I was shocked to read about the way in which they tricked Isabelle Nélisse to participate in it, and I strongly ethically oppose child actors being manipulated in such ways. She was amazing though, and I hope she will be able to look at it someday and feel proud about the final product of her being objectified the way she was. Kind of ironic and bitter, considering the movie partially deals with the topic of consent.

Kudos to the way the story is told by director Jennifer Fox, and for telling her very personal story in the first place. The level of denial, sublimation, and discovery decades later is honest and illuminating. The conversations Laura Dern has in her mind with people from the past (including her 13 year old self, Isabelle Nélisse) as she sifts through the fog and memories of her abuse, are brilliant. Dern's performance is decent but not outstanding, but Ellen Burstyn's is strong, as is that of Nélisse. There were a few moments in the story that seemed a little odd, but no one can deny its fundamental truth to far too many. I have to say though, it's very tough to watch in several places. I'm certain Fox's intention was to be completely honest, but to be this explicit, and in what can be misinterpreted as a sympathetic overtone, is unpleasant to sit through. The extent of the negative impact of predatory child rape isn't fully felt, though Dern's scene confronting her abuser late in the movie is powerful. I like how Fox signaled the cyclical nature of the crime ('what happened to you?'), and I loved the inclusion of her own childhood pictures at the end, which brings goosebumps. A heartbreaking, important film, but just brace yourself before watching it.

Very well plotted, this was a powerful tale that I won't get out of my head for a very long time. It's completely relevant to the #metoo era that we're living through now.

It's hard to imagine a better telling of such a necessary story. It's so real you can almost hear the anguished heartbeat leaping from the page, the breath, the gasps of reality when truths are revealed. The writing is exceptional, so too the directing, and matched with magnificent acting. Laura Dern is a revelation. Or should I say, she is finally getting the credit she deserves after Enlightened and Big Little Lies, what she brought to The Last Jedi. Her acting is organic and mesmerizing to the point where you're watching her every move, feeling her every emotion. However, it can not be stated enough that it is the sheer importance of this exquisite telling of a tale of abuse, that resonates above all else. Should definitely be considered for when award season comes around. Quite simply, brilliant.