The Fall

We’ve all been to a museum or a gallery, or maybe a place of business or even a friends house where you stumble upon a painting or a photograph that just makes you stop. You don’t know why, but you just do. Your eye has been caught. As this framed or mounted piece stares at you, perched perfectly at eye level, you have to stare back. You may step back to take it in, you may lean in closer or even stand your ground and give the ole’ crossed arms/tilted head thing. Then usually, after a few moments, the spell is broken and you move on. But in those moments before the spell is lifted, before you even know if you like it and no matter what way you look at it, you do know only one thing - what you’re looking at. A piece of art.

That is the best way to describe the experience of watching The Fall, the new film by Tarsem Singh. Presented by David Fincher and Spike Jonze (not too shabby, eh?), The Fall is set in a 1920’s Los Angeles hospital and centers completely around two people, 5-year old Alexandria (Catinca Untaru) and Hollywood stuntman Roy (Lee Pace). Alexandria is at the hospital with a broken arm from an accidental fall and Roy is there with a busted leg (and heart) that he received from a fall during a stunt gone wrong on the latest film he was shooting. Roy’s fall is told in the black and white opening credits sequence that is quite simply, one of the most stunning and elegant pieces of cinema ever put to film. I can't really describe it. You really just have to see it.

From there, the story is really quite simple. Alexandria, through chance, befriends Roy, who is confined to his bed, and they quickly spark up a friendship that is truly sweet, charming and absolutely believable. And as they become more comfortable in each others company, Alexandria asks Roy to tell her a story and he does - spinning an elaborate tale of betrayal, revenge and redemption. From there, the film flashes from the hospital to the scenes of this epic story, a story which becomes the most important part of Alexandria's day and for a while, of the film itself.

Roy's story revolves around five heroes (who Roy quickly changed from bandits to meet Alexandria's request), who all, for different reasons, want to find and confront the evil Governor Odious. The heroes consist of the Indian (Jeetu Verma), who lost his wife in a devastating way; Charles Darwin (Leo Bill), yes, the Charles Darwin, who here keeps a monkey in his bag while searching for a rare breed of butterfly; Luigi (Robin Smith), a master of explosives; Otta Benga (Marcus Wesley), a former slave; and the Masked Bandit (Lee Pace). All the heroes have quarrel with Odious and the five have joined together to end that quarrel, with his death.

Day after day, Alexandria runs to see Roy, so she can hear the next chapter in the story. These scenes are so gorgeously photographed that I found myself feeling the same way in the beginning, waiting for the next perfectly choreographed scene to move our five heroes to their inevitable conclusion. As the friendship between Roy and Alexandria grows, and so nicely does the darkness of the film. Slowly changing direction, we start to realize that Roy's pain may be as much mental as it is physical and as Alexandria begins to realize this, she wants nothing more than to help him. As the further along we get into Roy's tale (which we soon realize is beginning to change with every telling to mirror reality), the further blurred the lines between that reality and fantasy become. And the closer we get to the real story. One that is sad, touching and disappointing (within the story, that is), yet with still the possibility of "Happily Ever After" and then ends with a nod to the greats.

The Fall is the brilliant new film from avant garde music video director Tarsem, who helmed such videos as Losing My Religion, as well as his first feature film The Cell. To me, The Cell was nothing more than pretentious regurgitation, an exercise in excess and extreme - style over substance. It’s like the Dennis Quaid movie Dreamscape, if directed by Peter Greenaway, sans all the full frontal. But The Fall, on the other hand, is the complete opposite.

While half of the film is made up of lavish, complex textured shots that almost defy what is cinematically possible, the true heart of this story is the relationship between Roy and Alexandria. At the perfect time for both, they filled a void that was missing from each others lives, but filled voids don't always have to be a good thing. The characters are real people with real flaws, showing real pain and concern and affection. And how Tarsem allows the film to unfold, your view of the film starts to blur as well, just like the characters you are watching, all the way to it's brilliant conclusion.

The acting I thought to be spot on, Lee Pace as Roy has the perfect touch of charm and sweet, as well as dark and tormented and as his counterpart, Catinca Untaru's Alexandria is so cute, vulnerable and funny - she really makes it look effortlessly. And by that I mean she looks, acts and sound like a real 5-year old child, the best complement, in my opinion for a young actor. The entire supporting cast was also very good, all serving their purpose to move the story along in both directions.


Shot over 4 years and in 20 different countries, Tarsem used a lot of his own dough to help finance this his second film, and it shows. Based lightly on the small Bulgarian film Yo Ho Ho, The Fall was an obvious labor of love and is probably one of the beautifully photographed films I've seen in a long while, if not ever. But more than that, it's a simple, well crafted story that is executed perfectly, a great balance between fantasy and reality and the middle ground there within. And in a time where cookie cutter, formula based "is there enough of a fan base to make 110% profit?" run wild, it's refreshing to see a film with vision - and a filmmaker with guts. And as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman says, "Guts is enough."

Now I've been doing nothing but sing this films praise, but it is not without fault. The film does slow in places and Catinca Untaru's accent makes it so hard to understand a few of her lines, I actually had to rewind a few times. But that aside, I loved this film completely and therein lies that last problem. There is truly no middle ground with this film, either you buy into it or you don't. It's the total love it or hate it kinda movie. You either find it absorbing and beautiful or you find it slow and too beautiful. But if you see this film, I guarantee it will catch your eye and hold you there until the spell is broken. And whether you’re drawn in or pushed away, the experience is just that: an experience. Rich, lush, layered and breathtaking. Because either way, love it or hate it, you will know what you’re watching - a piece of art.

Rating: 8.95 out of 10

(or 9 out of 11, if you prefer things that go to 11)