Gomorrah director Matteo Garrone makes his English language debut with this gloriously mad, rigorously imagined, sumptuously erotic and hilariously created world of fairytales for grown ups.

Based on a collection of seventeenth-century Italian fairytales, this is a patchwork of three fantastical stories about distressed monarchs. One king (Toby Jones) breeds a giant flea and accidentally marries his daughter off to an ogre; another (Vincent Cassel) allows his rampant sexual desire to lead him into bed with an old crone; and a selfish queen (Salma Hayek) sends her king (John C. Reilly) to battle a sea monster in a bid to conceive an heir. His poor creatures shamelessly commit all seven deadly sins and then some.

The design, costumes and photography and all combine to create a medieval world that feels mythical but not overly fantastical - this fairy tale is closer to Pasolini than Disney. Tale of Tales had critics eating their hearts out (you'll get that if you've seen that press image of Salma Hayek...) at last year's Cannes, and you'll be seduced by its spell, too. Enjoy.

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