The Fall Movie Review

In some ways, as a filmgoer, a film-critic, a filmmaker, I am an old fogey. I consider myself, as a reviewer and appreciator of film, from the school of Ebert. While I don’t always agree with the man, I love his conversational and humanistic style of writing and I appreciate that he tries to rate each film against its own genre.

Therefore, in theory, a romantic comedy could be good, while the latest expressionistic indy film could be only adequate even though the goals of the first were much less noble than the goals of the second. The intent then is not quite the question, but rather the success. I’ve become disjointed. One of my grievances with newer films is the so called "MTV syndrome. " You know, the music video, commercial like fast visuals that are so over the top so fast and so impressive that they become so empty. And then there are the commercial directors. I can usually spot these in films I don’t watch but might flip thru on HBO. Noticing a lack of story and the preponderance of visuals, cutting and loud music etc. I think to myself “gee, must have been a music video (or commercial) director.” But I admit my flaw, I’m being fussy. And don’t get me wrong, pulsating pop music and extravagant visuals can succeed See Tarantino, Scorcese, Paul Thomas Anderson…but it must be used for a certain reason, and in conjunction with great story, acting, and meaningful editing. Which brings us to Tarsem’s “The Fall.”

Tarsem is a commercial director (with one name) who sank years of his life and millions of dollars of his own money into “The Fall.” It is one of the most visually sumptuous films to come along in some time, this said amongst a whole wide world of visually sumptuous films (and music videos and commercials, some ostensibly directed by Tarsem). The film, in fact, was shot all over the world, and everything you see on the screen is real, no CGI I’m told. That enough is reason to see the film. The locales, the visuals, are absolutely magical. And the story is good too.

“The Fall” is about a silent movie era Stuntman who is in a Los Angeles hospital following a rather nasty fall (one shown in amazing style to open the film). He soon encounters the most ridiculously adorable little girl. He proceeds to tell her a story; one that he is clearly making up as he goes along, and one that he is clearly meaning to use for his own advantage. You see, the fall might not have been an accident. Affairs of the heart; such as falling in love with the leading lady of the film that he had been working on. As for the story, it is funny, sweet, fantastically costumed and photographed and subject to changes upon the whims of the storyteller and the storytellee. So where does this film stand? Incredible visuals. Adorable little girl. Creative story that is funny, revelatory, tragic, homage filled, and era appropriate. Objectively this film should be a best picture contender. But somehow the parts don’t quite fit together, and I can’t quite figure out why. Perhaps it is too jarring to go from fantasy fun to absolute pathos. Perhaps when a fantasy story doesn’t really mean anything, it doesn’t really mean anything. But this is still a very good film worth seeing, just not quite the once in a lifetime experience Roger Ebert has described. Except for, well, it sort of is.

Story: A Silent Film Stuntman and recovering little girl. He tells her stories. We see incredible world in his story and in the films reality.
Acting: B The little girls voice is so unique.
Visuals: A Transcendent.
Originality/Innovation: A In every way.
Enjoyability Grade: B+ Funny, sad, interesting.
Overall Grade: B+ Somehow it’s still only a B +