Very clear what Playa de Lario aimed at him with his film Tales of Babylon. written and directed by the young director, Tales of Babylon is a crime comedy very much like any other movie we’ve seen before, revolving around shady criminals who end up finding each other in a twisty third act. At least, the director recognizes this and does not go for anything else. No attempts to change the rules, no new experiments in the genre. He finds himself constructing a generic plot line that is enough for him to achieve his idea. Something else? Not needed.
In a kind of self-voting scene, the director includes an early reference to Tarantino’s crime epic pulp FictionA very clear inspiration for Tales of Babylon. The Jeopardy joke goes on too long, but the punch line is extremely funny and in the end it works. There is a clear self-awareness that allows the film to easily go back and forth with comedy and drama, without submitting the story to new boundaries, new characters or awkward twists. Tales of Babylon It’s predictable in its own way, but De Lario holds his own from the moment of revealing the most effective surprise of all. Find out when an unstable character appears and turn the tables. The film tells the story of a group of London criminals involved in a mission that will eventually bring them together. I won’t spoil it for you anymore.
However, De Lario writes and insists on the genre’s appealing sense of excess. He does not filter anything and Tales of Babylon Becomes one long story that gets boring at some point, and relies on reckless closure into the resolution. The film has too much fat, and it plays needlessly too long (121 minutes). You can edit out some of the secondary characters’ plots and nothing will happen.
no question Tales of Babylon looking great. It has a certain texture that speaks volumes for the team behind the film. In that regard, De Lario has grown considerably after his last feature which was not among my favorites. You can tell that crime dramas are more of his territory because of how clever his script work is. Even if the film could be cut, this excess comes from the middle parts that do not really help the progress of the story.
Again, you can see what the writer/director is going for and that should be celebrated just because it hits the mark with confidence and story logic. There is nothing to doubt the story because all the elements fit. It’s an admirable feat considering De Lario’s short career. after the Tales of Babylon, we can’t help but be excited for what’s to come. I just hope he gets rid of the excess: the most obvious example is when he gestures to Westerns in the film’s resolution. The clash between criminals brought them to the warehouse. They all point their guns at each other, and De Lario plays and plays with their facial expressions and close-ups that resemble those seen in spaghetti westerns. One is enough, but DeLario jumps the shark with his attempt at comedy.
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