The Tale

The Tale

2018 "Our past is always present"
The Tale
The Tale

The Tale

7.2 | 1h55m | R | en | Drama

An investigation into one woman’s memory as she‘s forced to re-examine her first sexual relationship and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive.

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7.2 | 1h55m | R | en | Drama , Mystery | More Info
Released: January. 20,2018 | Released Producted By: ARTE , ZDF Country: United States of America Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website: https://www.hbo.com/movies/the-tale
Synopsis

An investigation into one woman’s memory as she‘s forced to re-examine her first sexual relationship and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive.

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Cast

Laura Dern , Isabelle Nélisse , Elizabeth Debicki

Director

Stephen H. Porter

Producted By

ARTE , ZDF

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Reviews

parkii-56642 This movie is absolutely perfect. It's raw, real, and shows how sexual abuse can affect the subconscious for a lifetime. As someone who was sexually abused at a young age, I recommend this movie to anyone who has gone through something similar. You won't regret it. The acting is superb, the writing and style of film works great for the theme. POWERFUL, MOVING, BREATHTAKINGLY PAINFUL.. This is one movie I will never forget.
klee-65516 This film did a wonderful job depicting what it's like to uncover childhood trauma as an adult. I love how she went back and forth between child and adult, starting with an idyllic memory and slowly realizing her prior understanding of her experience was faulty. I also loved how she occasionally asked the younger versions of people in her memory questions as an adult, holding a make-believe dialogue. Connection to her younger self was made clear in this film, an important aspect when considering childhood memories - distant but deeply felt. What an honest, artistic expression of one woman's experience with childhood trauma. Very (painfully but satisfactorily) relatable for people with a similar history.
SnoopyStyle Jennifer Fox (Laura Dern) is a globe-trotting documentarian. She's engaged to Martin (Common) for the past 3 years and they're both often away for work. She teaches documentary filmmaking at a college. Her mother (Ellen Burstyn) is desperate to contact her after finding her old writing assignment. The memories of a childhood relationship resurface. She slowly investigates the scattered pieces of recollections. During the 70's, Jenny (Isabelle Nélisse) was a shy girl at 13. Her parents were fighting and she felt invisible. She worshipped her horse riding coach Mrs. G (Elizabeth Debicki). Mrs. G and running coach Bill Allens (Jason Ritter) were having an affair. They pulled Jenny into their secret relationship of which Bill took advantage.This HBO film tells a devastating tale. Laura Dern's performance is a nice growth from denial to realization. It's all on her face like when her student recounts her first sexual experience. Other standouts include Nélisse as the young Jenny and Jason Ritter. Nélisse is perfectly innocent and Ritter uses his personable charms to deviate from the normal creep trope. It's quite horrific. Obviously, this is a personal movie for filmmaker Jennifer Fox. It would have added to the reality of the movie if young Jenny read the assignment writing at the beginning of the movie. Better yet if young Jenny read Jennifer Fox's actual letter. It would be that much more poignant. Overall, this is devastating personal tale with a great performance.
merelyaninnuendo The TaleA wide range of such genre features are created that focuses on the fragile aspects of the society, but only few of them gets it right on both - the cinematic and infomercial - the ways and maintains the perfect balance. It is visually beautiful with impressive camera work and cinematography that unfortunately isn't supported to that extent on technical aspects like background score and editing. There are few cringe worthy scenes; which is obvious considering the premise, that took lots of gut to pull it off on screen by the makers. The writing is strong, sharply accurate and ballsy that ups the ante and the energy of the cinema on screen as it doesn't flinch on visiting unexpected places and tell its own story. Jennifer Fox; has done a plausible work on writing the script but an even more tremendous job on executing such an eerie feature with such confidence. The character's perspective as it struggles on recollecting the occurred events is brilliantly depicted that proves not only the excellence on writing but the wittiness on the tricks and treats installed by the makers for the audience. The feature scores majestically on performance where everyone is giving their best especially Laura Dern who is a revelation in this masterpiece and is supported by a great cast like Elizabeth Debicki, Chelsea Alden and Jason Ritter. The structure of the plot isn't one's usual melodrama that spends its time on grieving and instead takes action through its own methodology and is delivered by some amazing heartfelt conversations. The Tale explores into a colony of black and white saints and segregates the bigger terms in the society and narrows it down to a much simpler and adequate point.