Tales of the Night

Released: 20th July 2011 (France) 6th April 2012 (U.K)

Directed by: Michel Ocelot

Starring: Julien Béramis, Marine Griset, Michel Elias

Certificate: PG

Reviewed By: Lewis Filer

I had the privelage of attending an advanced U.K screening of Michel Ocelot’s ‘Tales of the Night’ (Les Contes de la nuit) at this years Wales One World festival in Cardiff and i was far from disappointed.
Tales of the Night is a gloriously striking animated french language film that tells a selection of different stories each with their own messages and morals such as honesty, love, kindness and gratitude.
Stories that take it’s audience to many enchanting locations such as Medieval Europe, The Land of the Dead, Tibet, an Aztec Kingdom and the African Savannah.
Werewolf princes and evil brides, princesses in need of a prince to rescue them, a ferocious dragon plaguing an aztec city and giant talking animals, this film has something for the whole family while injecting historic facts and education into it’s idiosyncratic stories.

Originally a 5 episodic tv series called ‘Dragons et Princesses’, the movie is essentially a compilation movie of the series with an added theatre exclusive episode ‘The Girl Doe and the Architects Son’.

The animation was simply devine. The stories were told through vibrantly coloured, gorgously rendered  lands and silouhetted characters resulting in a fantastic assault of the senses. Although the film was made in 3D, I did not experience the film in it’s 3D version, but i can imagine from the beautiful animation that it would have been a real treat for the eyes.

‘Tales of the Night’ is quite simply, a beautifully made film for the entire family to enjoy and even learn some of lifes valuable lessons from.