"The Tale" Review
Content warning: rape, child abuse
"The Tale" is based on the true story of writer/director Jennifer Fox's experience with abuse. Laura Dern gives a career-defining performance as an internally conflicted Jennifer Fox as she investigates the mysteries of her childhood. The events of the movie unravel simultaneously through flashbacks and through present day beats. We feel like we know more than what she knows but we're hoping it's not true. This impending dread one feels while watching the film along with the movie's surreal editing and sound design (both of which may be repeated and altered based on the psychological impact of what gets revealed) results in a highly complex understanding of Fox's feelings towards her abusers and the abusers themselves.
A lot of the writing does struggle to find its footing as we get scenes upon scenes of characters talking to each other as though they were explaining their lives to an outsider. At times, it feels unnatural to the point of being inauthentic. Isabelle Nélisse's crucial performance as 13 year old Jennifer Fox, although quiet and stoic in nature, fails to capture the subtlety that was needed, in my opinion. But her portrayal is still serviceable and the same can be said for Common's somewhat mediocre portrayal of Jennifer’s fiancé.
The Tale is a visceral experience and an extremely well realized exploration of memory. Jennifer Fox's tale is worth telling even though the somewhat on-the-nose exposition-heavy dialogue and stiff performances can break the immersion. This is a case of where the story of the film soars above the film's flaws. Although it will be extremely hard to sit through for most people, The Tale is a must watch to understand the nuances between victims and abusers, and how delicate and malleable memory can be.