I attribute my love for film from my father, who has always held a love for film. So whenever he recommends a movie, or shows me a movie, I know I’m usually in for a somewhat weird, but utterly unique experience. I definitely get my weird taste of absurd cinema from him.
A couple of years ago now, my dad read about this film online and went out and bought it. It was weird, unique, and wonderful. That film was Tarsem Singh’s The Fall, which came out in 2006. The Fall is a film about a hospital on the outskirts of 1920s Los Angeles, an injured stuntman begins to tell a fellow patient, a little girl with a broken arm, a fantastic story of five mythical heroes. Thanks to his fractured state of mind and her vivid imagination, the line between fiction and reality blurs as the tale advances.
The film is directed and co-written by Tarsem Singh, and this film was my first introduction to him. His other directed films are The Cell (2000), Immortals(2011), Mirror Mirror(2012), and Self/Less(2015). One thing is very certain when you watch a Tarsem Singh movie, you’re in beautiful ride of the senses, especially visually. Tarsem’s use of colour is unbelievable, I think the best way I would describe his use of colour, is moving art. Every colour, every shade, is just unbelievable. His eye for the smallest detail is crazy. After seeing The Fall, I’ve seemed out some of his other films, and theres still a couple of his movies that I would like to watch, especially Self/Less(2015), starring Ryan Reynolds – it sounds very interesting.
The other writer of the film is Dan Gilroy, and I know what you’re thinking especially now that it is many years after The Fall’s release, that you may recognize this name? Well Dan Gilroy was the brilliant mind behind 2014’s film Nightcrawler, starring Jake Gyllenhaal. He also co-write Real Steel(2011) starring Hugh Jackman and The Bourne Legacy(2012) starring Jeremy Renner. I’ve always enjoyed his writing, and after seeing and loving Nightcrawler, I’m excited to see his next film called Inner City, whenever that comes out.
The Fall stars a bunch of not very well known actors on paper, but if I told you the roles that they were in, especially the stuntman Roy, you’ll definitely know one or two of his other roles. Roy the Stuntman was played by Lee Pace, whose other roles consist of a TV show called Pushing Daisies (2007-2009), The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), Lincoln (2012), The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (2013), his biggest film to date is would say – Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) where he played the antagonist Ronan, and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014). I really enjoy Pace’s acting, whatever he does he’s always so endearing, especially in this movie, I thought he did an amazing job leading this film. But I think much praise also needs to go to the little girl Alexandria played by Catinca Untaru, who throughout the movie was just this really cute little girl who just wanted a story, she was funny, she was a little mischievous. I’m really surprised at the fact that she hasn’t done anymore films except for two shorts, she was really wonderful in this movie.
My favourite part about this movie, is the use of colour. As I stated earlier, this is definitely a feast for your eyes, and ears. Its something that you really need to experience to really understand, I don’t think you’ve seen a movie quite like it. I say its a feast for the ears as well, as the music that accompanies these colourful portraits is lovely. Three things always stick out whenever I think about this movie, 1) the acting is great, 2) the soundtrack and lastly 3) the Visual style.
The only negative I have about this movie is that in some parts, it is definitely a little slow. Which makes you want to be in the mood to watch it. Which I don’t think has much to do with the movie as it does with your mood.
Overall however, I would give The Fall, a 4.5/5. The visuals, the story, the originality all shine in this movie. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants something a little different out of their usual movie affair, you haven’t seen anything quite like it.
Until next time!
-Andrew