The Fall

In the beginning of the Twentieth Century, in the pediatric wing of a hospital in Los Angeles, the talkative five year-old girl Alexandria (Catinca Untaru) is recovering from a broken arm. Alexandria works with her family of immigrants in the harvest of oranges and she has just lost her father. When she meets the injured stuntman Roy Walker (Lee Pace) recovering from a fall and also brokenhearted with the loss of his girlfriend to the lead actor, he begins to tell a fantastic tale about six heroes and their common enemy, the hideous Governor Odious. Black Bandit that lost his brother Blue Bandit that was killed by Odious' men; the expert in explosives Luigi that was outcast in his town by Odious; the Indian that lost his gorgeous wife that was abducted by Odious; the former slave Otta Benga that lost his twin brother in the fields of Odious; Charles Darwin that receives a rare "Mistica Americana" butterfly killed by Odious; and Mystic that hated Odious that destroyed the fauna and flora of his lands, join forces to defeat the evil Odious. While Alexandria fantasizes the story projecting the images of her acquaintances in the characters, the heartsick Roy uses her innocence to ask the girl to still morphine and medicines from the dispensary for him to commit suicide.

"The Fall" is one of the most original films that I have recently watched. This adventure has a stunning opening sequence in black and white and slow motion with the Allegretto from Ludwig van Beethoven's (1770-1827) Symphony # 7 in A mayor, Opus 92 in the soundtrack. The story entwines reality and fiction, burring the situations in a certain moment, and may be understood in many layers; therefore this dramatic feature can also been seen by children and is a great family entertainment. The cinematography sets and locations are very beautiful and bright with intense use of colors. This is the type of movie that deserves to be watched more than once to have the full understanding of all situations. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Dublê de Anjo" ("Stunt of Angel")

I saw this film two weeks before its scheduled release at the Los Angeles Indian Film Festival at the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood. The film saw a surprise premiere after another in the festival was canceled. The visuals are like nothing I have ever seen before: spectacular, epic, ... words cannot describe this masterpiece of cinematography. Every scene is a work of art. The color palate is so rich, from the bright orange of desert mountains, to the vibrant red of a blood-soaked sheet, to the opulent green of the Indian's attire. The first five minutes of the film were arresting, the haunting soundtrack, the beautiful black and white images, I had goosebumps.

The acting seems very candid, very real. The young Romania actress playing the role of Alexandria is adorable, and Lee Pace as always is superb as the hospitalized, paraplegic stuntman. The characters were absorbing, and the story captivating. And where many films were unworthy of the title of "A Fairy-tale for Adults" this film truly is. It is about love, death, adventure, responsibility, and growing up.

The sheer magnitude of this film is unbelievable, shot in 18 countries, spanning many years (for the director to scout locations and cast appropriate actors) it is a true work of genius and a commitment by all cast and crew. I just hope that the filmmakers get enough out of the commercial end of this movie, to compensate them for the great effort that so obviously went into the making of this film and so that we might possibly get another like it in the future.

If you have not seen, or in fact, heard, of this movie, let me be the first to tell you about it.

This was and is the sort of experience that first enraptured and astounded me as regards to the movies. A story told in such a way as to become a part of your awareness, a gentle reminder of the fantastic, mythical and magical components of what is best in humanity whilst not forgetting what it means to be human.

Breathtaking does not even begin to describe the cinematography. The colors, the framing, costumes, lighting, and the backdrops are gorgeous; like something out of a dream. If this was just a visually moving film, that would be enough but there is so much more.

Tarsem Singh's direction is possessed. He manages to capture a kaleidoscope of emotion as diverse and generous as the tones and colors that deliver this movable feast for the eyes. His motley casting of relatively unknown actors is inspiring and refreshing.

The acting is extraordinary. Both poignant and comical, this journey of heartbreak and revenge, of discovery and friendship is conveyed with joy, witticism, curiosity and a vulnerability that is so rare in life, never mind in movies, it left me humbled. Especially the young Romanian girl, Catinca Untaru, who, not only made her big screen debut in this movie but is the heart and soul of the film in a breakthrough performance that I am sure will garner rave reviews.

It is my sincerest hope that you find this movie as emotive, tender and touching as I.

I was absolutely blown away. I absolutely had no idea really what this movie was about and I didn't do any research on it and met a friend to see this screening and I have to tell you THIS IS film MAKING!!! I loved every minute of it!!!! I don't know why it hasn't been released but this is one movie I have to have in my video library to watch and watch over again. Story telling at its ultimate highest. I was very impressed with Catinca Untaru "Alexandria", I would love to see more of her, very talented not to mention Lee Pace, you can tell they worked very well together. I can not wait to see this movie again. I felt the ending was closure. Dan Gilroy - you need to write more often-I just can't say enough about this film. The cinematography ....is just awesome. Please release this film, I wanna see it again.

The Fall is a charming, fantastical story with a haunting undertone and features the most endearing child actress since Jacques Doillon's Ponette... what more could a film boast? Moreover, this film could be watched on mute and still make a lasting impression on the viewer through its striking imagery. The Fall is the story of Alexandria, an injured immigrant child wandering the hospital where she is being treated. The viewer is drawn, with Alexandria into a dark and extravagant world through the story of a maimed stuntman who she befriends. The skilled interaction between the finely divided reality and fantasy is reminiscent of David Cronenberg's eXistenZ. I can not recommend this film any more strongly.