Falling

Great acting all around, solid story, good directing. Anyone who has spent their whole life dealing with an emotionally and psychologically abusive parent will relate, and unless you've been there you probably won't understand why the son and daughter put up with it. I did. My 95-year-old father died a month ago after decades of slights and hurts, and he still managed to deliver one last slap after he died.

I disagree with some who think this is just about a disease or dementia as if it somehow changed the father - no, it just brought out more of who the father really was. I agree this it was about love - how some adult children still want to love and have the need to be loved back.

Warnings: This movie had a disturbing amount of verbal abuse in the form of homophobia and misogyny. It is definitely not for children. Be prepared.

I watched an interview with Viggo and Mr Henriksen few weeks back talking about the making of the Film and what inspired him to write the Story. Now that I have watched the Movie twice, I get it. The reality of Dementia and Old Age is tough to swallow but the Film sets the Tone from the First scene. All the Flashbacks to the Past and still shots of Art and Beautiful scenery make it a kinda trippy ride. Since the story was loosely based on his own Family and personal experiences growing up Viggo was all in and it shows in his directing and acting in the Movie. The clash of characters and Nice Soundtrack make for a Fun watch. Sailors Language thru out. Lance Henriksen is the Man !

It is an engaging story because it makes you feel. It makes you feel angry at the father, and sorry for the other characters. It is an effective and heart felt family drama.

There's a lot to commend here. The film is carefully structured, full of interesting detail while never losing sight of the story it wants to tell. On the surface it is a family tale, but underneath it is a drama of conflicting values, of care versus cruelty.

Viggo Mortensen the writer has a less steady hand than Viggo Mortensen the director. He has created an austere father figure who lacks the three-dimensionality of the carers he comes into conflict with. In spite of a towering, theatrical performance by Lance Henriksen, there is a feeling of something missing. It may be we just don't have enough back-story: how did this guy get this way? There's only a single line that might give a clue. It's not enough. However, the character's younger self is given a wider range of emotion to play, which Sverrir Gudnason siezes, runs with and scores triumphantly.

The female roles, though in a couple of cases rather sketchy in terms of what they say, are all superbly played, directed lovingly so that the camera fills in the gaps left by the absence of spoken words. This is particularly true of Hannah Gross's sensitive turn as Gwen.

Mortensen turns out to be a very good director of children. The young actors in the cast all give excellent performances.

Of Mortensen the actor there's only praise to give. It's been a joy watching him develop over these many years since his film debut in WITNESS. He's as compelling and believable as ever, never more so than in his tender relationship here with Terry Chen.

Well done, Viggo. Here's to the next one.

Viggo, perhaps one of the most underrated actors of the past few decades gives a heartbreaking performance. He also steps behind the camera, flexing his directing chops to guide this film. At times hard to watch, Falling manages to use flashback with a uniqueness not quite seen. He pulls the onion back just enough to keep your attention, using colors, landscapes and sound design to make the viewer reflect inwards. It misses the mark in the casting department for me, as Lance Henirckson at times is so offensive you lose all compassion for a man that has truly lost his ability to connect his mind with his words. That being said, there is comfort in the likes of Moretnesen and Linney as they suffer through his gut wrenching diatribes, their sadness shines through. Slow paced and purposeful, Falling is a must see for anyone who has a family member battling dementia, or an insufferable parent.