Falling Into Place

"Kira" (Aylin Tezel) is having a break in a wintery and rural Scotland when she encounters the charismatic "Ian" (Chris Fulton) outside a pub on a Friday night. He's already had fairly drunken sex in the gents and she's just got shot of some unwanted attentions from an enthusiastic would-be suitor, so the pair start to chat, to dance, generally muck about and to bond. The next twenty four hours sees each learn a little more of the other as they realise that they both come with strings attached, before he has to attend to a family emergency. She heads back to London where she gets a job as a set designer for a theatrical production. He, likewise, returns to that city to his girlfriend "Emily" (Alexandra Dowling) but it's clear that there's no surfeit of happiness anywhere here, for anyone. Maybe they'll meet again - serendipity might look kindly on them? Well you don't have to be Mystic Meg to guess the plot, but there's an enjoyable degree of chemistry on offer here between the two. Neither come across as especially versatile actors, but they do work well together and the scenes on the island are quite engaging and plausible to watch. It's padded out a bit, indeed it might have lost half an hour and better condensed the story into what essentially makes this work - the dynamic between the two of them, but it's still quite a well written and at times mischievous piece of cinema with some beautifully shot location photography.

Movie tells the story of two people who are in the middle of their lives and are on the run from their former lives. They are running away from something, struggling with themselves and the life decisions they have made so far. Professionally and privately, they are stuck in a dead end. The film's problem: plot, dramaturgy, aesthetics and characters. Virtually everything here seems so inauthentic and contrived that it is a real annoyance.

Added to this are cliché-ridden moments, that can also be found in every second Sunday evening tearjerker on public TV. Complemented by kitschy, romanticized images of a setting characterized by idyllic nature and endless vastness (here: the rugged landscape of the Isle of Skye). Those sentimental, trivial, clichéd situations appear very early on in "Falling into Place", for example when the two main characters meet in an island pub.

A lot of things simply seem deliberate and forced, supplemented by coincidences that are implausible and not conducive to authenticity. For example, the script's decision to have the two people searching for meaning live in the same city of all places. And only just miss each other several times. The themes dealt with in the film are essential and would deserve to be examined in detail. It is about repression, family trauma, loss and fear of commitment. But sadly, they aren't. The films stays on the surface.

Back in London, Kira is trying to come to terms with the break-up with her boyfriend. And Ian, who has a girlfriend, also wants a change in his love and relationship life. Aylin Tezel and Chris Fulton visibly make an effort. However, the weaknesses in the script and the exhausting, often lecturing comments, also the pleasing one-liners reminiscent of calendar sayings ("It's painful to know that everything is replaceable") are quite annoying. A rather painful watch, I must say.

I give three stars for the effort and because it's a first feature.

This is an excellent bit of filmmaking and a modern day masterclass in navigating the nuance and subtlety of every day existentialism and sense of self. The acting from the whole cast is absolutely incredible, with the central couple presenting charisma and chemistry very rarely seen. The pace and space with each interaction is beautifully authentic and you are deeply drawn into their worlds. The romance and escapism of the opening scenes are a solid anchor for the rest of the film to hang from, as their actual real selves and realities unfold and the audience can truly believe that there was something very special and unique between them when they first met. The vulnerability and fragility of the male lead has been so missed in most cinema and it's a breath of fresh air to see such a well rounded character portrayed. There are no villains only complex messy human beings dealing with the antagonism of modern life and the human condition. The film dealt with the tortured artist trope of the male lead and the serious mental health issues with the sister respectfully and without cliches again bringing a level realism and authenticity to these potential overemphatic plot lines. The lighting, cinematography, score, and edit were so intentional and carefully crafted that the film just flowed making the viewing experience feel effortless.

But most of all the charm and humour is what was so wonderful to watch. Thank you to Aylin Tezel for acting, directing and writing and the whole cast and crew for this beautiful modern love story.

No pun intended - seeing Aylin in this ... at first I was unsure it was her (as you can tell I did not check anything casting or crew wise) ... but if you've seen her before you recognize her. And reading that she wrote and directed this? Kudos - especially considering her performance in this - heavy lifting so many things and doing a great job.

Not sure if this is her debut, but I know that she is a great actress. In the stuff I have seen her in, she worked more than fine. The movie is about characters - broken and trying to find themselves ... maybe inside someone else (again no pun intended).

There is family, there are relationships ... this feels as real as it can be (being a movie). The dialog works greatly to say the least. Really well done, with life going its course, not caring about ones struggles ... but will the humans we encounter help us in our fight? Will we be able to fight together? Watch and see.

I'm sorry I don't like to give negative reviews, but this movie was really so boring and pointless. Better watch paint dry on the wall than this mediocre film. Why was it even made? It has some good looking actors and nice decorative scenery, but I get that every day on TV. I see those pictures of Scotland on the wall in the waiting room of my dentist. Exactly the same in those movies they show on a sunday night on free TV for housewives.

All in all, a typical german film that has nothing to say and avoids any statement on society. It was probably also financed by a german TV network.

The plot is completely predictable. The actors don't have much chemistry. The guy is very handsome, which was probably why Aylin Tezel as the directress chose him, but lacks charisma. Both actors have these wooden faces, with not more than two or three expressions to fall into.

It's also overly long. I am wondering how this film even found financing. I heard that Tezel is a famous actress in Germany, that could have played a role. The film has totally failed in german box office. There is just no reason to buy a ticket. I couldn't tell you why you should. I just wouldn't be able to tell you a reason why to go see this movie. So apparently, it hasn't built up any word of mouth.

If some of this reads a little too simply, it is unfortunately because "Falling Into Place" really is an incredibly shallow movie. Grief, trauma, loss, all of this is actually only conjured up in order to stage an overly decorative sadness - first in front of a picturesque Scottish island landscape, and then in a more or less hip urban art scene. There is no real feeling anywhere in sight, and there is no room for a deeper thought either.

Instead, a handful of sayings about the "dating app generation" and its superficiality are thrown in for free by motherly friends. And the art discourse at the end, when Kira opens an exhibition as a painter with a series of portraits of her sad-looking lover, is so shallow that you can't help but think of the pictures on the walls of your local solarium.

The supposed dream couple in "Falling Into Place" doesn't really have anything to say to each other right from the start - let alone to us. The dialog is simple at best and, to put it less charitably, cliché-drunk, and the cinematic emphasis of the alleged romance is provided by a soundtrack plastered with soulful piano strumming and indie guitar pop alongside postcard landscapes bathed in warm light.