The Fall Review
Thursday, June 5th, 2008 | Movies
Tags: Movies, review
I was so determined to see this movie that I drove 14 miles to catch it last Saturday night. My determination is not an indication that I was completely doubt-free. I did have doubts, and they were primarily introduced by online reviews that rated it just one star. Basically, the reactions to this movie were not uniform, instead they occupy both extremes. However, the common ground of these critics is the acknowledgment of the film’s stunningly beautiful cinematography. This does not come as a surprise. You can get evidence of this by watching the trailer. So, before watching this movie, I knew I was about to behold many beautiful frames, but I was truly worried whether the storyline would be as weak and illogical as some reviewers have criticized.
The director of The Fall is Tarsem Singh, the same director who brought us The Cell. So, if you have seen both films, you will immediately notice the aesthetic similarity between the two. Both films contains countless breathtaking, majestic and vibrant frames of natural landscape, cityscape and human portraits. The still images of these scenes can easily be pieces of artistic photography. According to other publications, Tarsem shot this movie in 18 different countries, and all the shots are real without any CG enhancements.
Contrary to the negative reviews I read before the viewing, I thought the storyline was simple and easy to follow. Undeniably, there were symbolic imageries and constant shifting between fantasy and reality, but it is basically a fable told to the girl Alexandria by the young stunt man Roy. However, the simplicity does not entail that the overall depth of the movie is compromised. With the superb acting performance delivered by Lee Pace and Catinca Untaru, the movie provokes laughter, tears and thoughts after the viewing. I have to single out the acting of Catinca Untaru who is the little girl Alexandria in the movie. She is the very reason why this movie made me laugh and cry. Her acting is natural and genuine throughout the film.
So, there was no regret from me after driving 14 miles to see this movie, and I definitely recommend this movie. The Fall is one of those few movies that managed to achieve excellence in both cinematography and storyline. On top of this, the chemistry of two brilliant leading actors made me impossible to resist from getting involved into the story. From there, I had no choice but to experience the lives of those two characters and the fable that mirrors the presence.
Of course, after watching a good movie, a delicious Tiramisu is definitely an excellent way to finish the night.
June 06, 2008
4:42 am on Friday
I haven’t seen it. I will have to rent it on DVD because the cinema in the city I’m living in this summer plays 8 movies and most of the time it’s 5-6 movies because 2-3 of them are playing in two theatres.
June 06, 2008
2:21 pm on Friday
Too bad you can’t watch it in theater, but definitely watch it on DVD. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.
June 06, 2008
2:35 pm on Friday
I will try to remember by then.
June 09, 2008
3:24 pm on Monday
rats, this isn’t available via Netflix…
June 10, 2008
2:04 am on Tuesday
Yea, I can’t even find it on Netflix. Maybe you have to wait for a bit.
June 16, 2008
10:39 pm on Monday
I saw this opening day and looooved it! The filming is gorgeous. The director did not use any special effects its all camera tricks.
A must see!
November 12, 2008
3:09 am on Wednesday
Excellent review on The Fall. I have seen it and i was completely blown away by the stunning visual imageries…definitely one of the best films for its cinematography element. The wide angle shots of the desert scenes are perfect, n no use of CGI effect? That’s even kickass! And i simply adore the little Catinca, she’s made the film alive, a very talented young romanian girl n i hope to see her in other films…one of the best film i’ve seen in 2008…breathtaking!
November 12, 2008
12:31 pm on Wednesday
Linda, I am glad you enjoyed. I think somehow The Fall did not get as much media attention as it deserves, so I hope more people would watch it and find out that it is a quality film.