Wild Tales (2014)

I must be a junkie for popular flicks. All I knew when I rented this one was its placement on IMDb's top 250. The opening credits in Spanish took me by surprise; I actually paused to make sure Netflix didn't send the wrong disc. Sure enough, WT is from Argentina.

It's also six short stories, not alternating but one after another, with only the running theme of stress to tie them together. Before the title screen, strangers on a plane discover that they have a former acquaintance in common -- and it might not be coincidence. In story 2, a waitress at a nearly empty restaurant recognizes a mobster who wronged her family, and the chef favors a poisoning. Story 3 consists of road rage way out on a country road, still cranked up to 11. Story 4 sees a man contesting a towing charge when the no-parking zone wasn't marked. In story 5, wealthy parents try to ensure that their young adult son doesn't go to prison for a deadly, probably drunken hit-and-run. In story 6, a bride finds compelling evidence at the wedding that the groom cheated on her.

I said "stress" because that's how most summaries express it, but I thought of the main theme as anger. Which typically leads to vengeance. Which leads to disagreement on justice, which leads to more anger. Basically, if there's a lesson to be learned, it's that you'd better let go of your anger before you make things worse for yourself. The second story, however, may put a dent in my interpretation.

As I noticed the ironies, improbabilities, and over-the-top reactions, it occurred to me that the filmmakers may have been aiming in part for comedy. IMDb does list comedy among its genres. But while the elements are clearer to me here than in another case I've mentioned, it almost never came close to tickling me. Even Heathers did better on that score, if only by feeling a little less true to life. Perhaps Argentinians have a more biting sense of humor, or perhaps the film simply caters to a very different sort from me.

This is not to say I don't like the stories overall. They do ratchet up the intensity at many points. I think the first is my favorite, tho the last (and longest by my reckoning) gives it a run for its money. Story 5 may be the least satisfying, particularly with its blatantly unjust "conclusion." When the interim blackness appeared, I hoped that the pause didn't signal a new story. But it makes sense for a movie about anger to stir it up in the audience, even while cautioning about its ugliness.

Indeed, if the point is to feel something a lot without really caring what, WT makes a fine choice. And the beauty of a compilation piece is that if you don't like what's on at the moment, you need only wait some minutes for a fresh start. Before the finale, of course.