There are three kingdoms, each with its own monarch. The queen of one kingdom has to eat a sea monster's heart to conceive an heir. Since his wife’s death, the king of another kingdom lives with his daughter, secretly hindering her marriage, appeasing his loneliness by breeding a flea. The young king of the third kingdom lives for kicks, but controversially he falls for a humble woman who was made beautiful through magic. Based on the book by 17th century Italian author Giambattista Basile, this spectacular fantasy disregards the restrictions of space and time, sucking the viewer into this unreal world of adventure, fantasy, monsters, and beauty. It questions where beauty stops and ugliness begins, preaching immaterial values like love, courage, friendship, and sacrifice. Director Matteo Garrone won the Grand Prize of the Jury at Cannes with Gomorrah (2008) and Reality (2012) and now he upholds the spirit of Georges Méliès, with the craftsmanship of a classic Italian B-movie. Garrone should receive rave reviews just for completing such a film, a future master with superb directing ability. (RHEE Soue-won)