▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁a ▁thumb s ▁down . ▁ ▁J . ▁H ober man ▁def ended ▁the ▁film , ▁yet ▁again , ▁in ▁his ▁review ▁for ▁the ▁the atr ical ▁cut . ▁" In ▁its ▁will ful , ▁self - in vol ved ▁ecc ent ric ity , ▁South land ▁T ales ▁is ▁really ▁something ▁else . ▁Kelly ' s ▁movie ▁may ▁not ▁be ▁entirely ▁coh er ent , ▁but ▁that ' s ▁because ▁there ' s ▁so ▁much ▁it ▁wants ▁to ▁say ." ▁Man oh la ▁D arg is ▁also ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁a ▁positive ▁review ▁in ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁writing , ▁" He ▁doesn ' t ▁make ▁it ▁easy ▁to ▁love ▁his ▁new ▁film , ▁which ▁turns ▁and ▁tw ists ▁and ▁at ▁times ▁threat ens ▁to ▁disappear ▁down ▁the ▁rabb it ▁hole ▁of ▁his ▁obs essions . ▁H app ily , ▁it ▁never ▁does , ▁which ▁allows ▁you ▁to ▁share ▁in ▁his ▁un ab ashed ▁joy ▁in ▁film making ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁in ▁his ▁f ury ▁about ▁the ▁times ." ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁remains ▁en ig m atic ▁to ▁many ▁view ers ▁and ▁even ▁some ▁of ▁its ▁mak ers . ▁In ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁interview , ▁Justin ▁Tim ber la ke ▁himself ▁said , ▁" To ▁me , ▁South land ▁T ales ▁is ▁performance ▁art . ▁I ▁still ▁don ' t ▁know ▁what ▁that ▁movie ▁is ▁about ▁[ la ugh s ] ." ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁interview , ▁Kelly ▁said ▁he