Revisiting 1987: An Enchanting Journey Through 'Freaky Tales'
Freaky Tales is a slice of life anthology movie consisting four interrelated stories based on four semi-autonomous characters, all of which are taking place at the year 1987 and altogether present an impression of Oakland, California. In a period when music and movies are considered as societal values, the movie explores the relevant and individual stories based on their relationship with the reality and its characters, focusing on the violations and connection to people and moments beyond the reality or, at least, the reality that can be only perceived today. From the very beginning of the film, the audience receives a warm and rather down-to-earth feeling akin to the appreciation of some history. The movie presents and enriches the viewers with adventures and comedy intertwined with drama and crime genres, which deeper analyze the emotions and exposure of people.
The film has a really popular cast members. Pedro Pascal does a great job portraying his character and does a tremendous job of balancing the complexities and emotions of his character, Ben Mendelsohn also provides another outstanding performance with multiple aspects of his character deep down, including both cunning sneakiness and forceful strength. Angus Cloud and Ji-young Yoo alongside other actors contribute in enhancing the plot and making the film a rich experience. Their goals are to make each storyline credible and meaningful for viewers and continue the narrative of the films as challenging as it is meaningful to follow.
The music is chosen as references to the 1987 music and the score created for the film only underlines the feeling of the film even if it may not be for everyone. Not only does it enhance the storytelling but more often than not propels the plot by amplifying narrative moments with tracks on beat.
The visuals give a good feel of 1980s Oakland in terms of color grading, framing among other features. What is more, acting and energy of young and talented actors combined with the efforts of DoP and costume designer give vitality to the screen images, and the rigorous realism of the close-ups adds romantic nuances to the heroes’ personalities. Whether it’s the clothes, the furniture in a set, or even the locations, cuccinelli makes sure everything resonates with cultural and social vibrancy of that particular period. It is just a feast for eyes especially for those who like retro style.
Everything has a purpose and it is a significant use of special effects. They are used to help tell the story without becoming the focus themselves while emphasizing character relationships and complexity of the plot. When it comes to SFX, viewers get to see the real thing on screen supported by appropriate CGI effects.
The pacing is smoothly done to give one story a natural flow to the next. Parallel plot lines are very smooth and blending well which keeps the audience interested and the unnecessary use of suspense and other emotions are timed very well in the movie. Though some people may find the pacing matched in the narrative to be slow, this proves to be advantageous since every detail counts in building the world of Freaky Tales. The dialogues are well thought to further character development and plot progression and alternating between humor and tragedy that the audience can relate to.
Despite all the strengths of Freaky Tales, some issues can also be observed here and there. Sometimes, the number of interwoven plots is a problem; it makes the target story less distinct and some of the stories weakly worked out. For some, the graphic sexual content’s main restriction might be its pacing, with some viewers expecting to be active throughout the night to highly invested in the scenes. The story, performances, and artistic vision make the viewer sit through a riveting experience even after the movie ends. They somehow contribute to the films aesthetic and nostalgic value which make the film a rewarding experience from a historical point of view.
