The Fall

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 saw this film in the Toronto Film Festival and was somewhat surprised by how much I enjoyed it, and the extent to which I was engaged in the reality that it creates. Catinca Untaru's performance is heartwarming and completely captivating, a truly lovable child-star whose appeal is based upon her authenticity and talent as opposed to her ability to bat her eyelids or wrinkle her nose. Her relationship with Roy (Lee Pace) is touching to behold and more importantly, entirely believable. Of course, as expected with Tarsem Singh as a director the film is visually stunning, featuring Baraka-like eye candy, which in itself deserves rave reviews and as a subsidiary to the story creates something quite spectacular. The use of worldwide locations allowed Tarsem to share some truly beautiful images with the viewers, and teamed with Catinca's acting left the audience as putty in his hands, laughing and crying as he wished.

This has three things to recommend it. Any two would be remarkable. All three make it a must see.

The most striking aspect of course is how lush the thing is. We may never see another film like this, one that uses real locations and practical effects but which has all of the other benefits of technology. Just the scope in impress of the thing makes it a thrill. Not only do we skip from one profound space to another, but Singhhas selected what seems to be the very best location for the eye. Often these are Tarkovsky-like so that we can see some action in the foreground and with a pan other action in the background. I doubt his DP made these decisions, so the choices are more remarkable.

"The Cell" had some powerful images, but they were incoherent, as if they were designed by competing art departments. No such problem here. Not only do the imaginary sequences have the same color palette (as it changes) even though the locations are a bewildering variety, but all the other artistic values do as well. We could well have different continents mixed in the same few minutes without a situational shift. That alone is a rare and worthy experience.

A second striking aspect is the narrative folding. At first glance it is simple and ordinary: a nested story with blended elements. But overlain n this is a parallel nesting about stories and movies, being a movie about movie-making. And falls, deliberate and staged, with some deep ambiguity about which is which. And which are physical and which emotional. It isn't great art, but its head and shoulders above most.

And finally we have the little girl. Now, I usually revolt when these are used to elicit the standard response. I gagged at "Miss Sunshine," because it was a weak project supported by cuteness. But this is a wholly different thing. This girl is fantastic. There are parts of the script that are embarrassing, and the end is a travesty of a story setup. But she pulls it off and we hardly notice.

This has one of the most impressive title sequences I have ever seen. It alone deserves praise.

I would trade ten "Pan's Labyrinth"s for one of these.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

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.