The Fall

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.

This movie needs a 4k UHD Blu ray release. I can't think of a movie that would shine in 4k more. Great movie and stunning visually

I saw this movie at the Toronto film festival, the Elgin Theater.

First off, it was nice to see a film where the director had complete creative control to execute his vision. This film does not suffer the fate of marketers or no talent Hollywood producers who think they are artist or visionaries.

If you liked Cinema Paradiso and the Princess Bride then you will also love this film. Tarsem's lavish imagery and fantastic locations create the atmosphere for an epic adventure, while the acting of Lee Pace, Justine Waddell and especially, Cantinca Untaru provide the drama and laughter.

First, Cantinca Untaru as Alexandria is superb. I normally avoid films with children as they are usually cheesy or groan worthy. Cantinca, however, is much like the little boy in Cinema Paradiso, a natural child. When Alexandria says things we believe her, when she does things it is her child like nature we are watching come out. There is nothing stiff or unnatural about this young actress and it is a great credit to Tarsem as a director that he was able to pull this level of acting from a child. While watching the movie, I was amazed at how Tarsem and Cantinca were able to move the audience from laughter to tears and back to laughter so fluidly. Lee Pace puts in an excellent show and does a great job as a suicidal patient in the hospital, but Cantinca is definitely the star of this show.

Tarsem has a great eye for location and he exhibits it well in this movie. It truly was shot all over the world. Along with all the great locations are the beautifully colorful costumes of fashion designer Eiko Ishioka. The costumes are larger than life and beautiful in their symbolism.

So having said all that, I would highly recommend this movie. This is one of those rare films that actually does have a bit of something for everyone yet keeps its integrity.

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.

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")