The Fall [DVD]

After creating the visually stunning but emotionally un-engaging the Cell in 2000, it was hard to say exactly which way director Tarsem Singh was going to go with his whole style over substance approach. Thankfully, he has addressed some of these problems with his latest film, the visually stunning The Fall.
Set in a hospital on the outskirts of 1920's Los Angeles, the film tells the story of injured movie stuntman Roy (Lee Pace from Pushing Daisies), who befriends a little girl Alexandria (an amazingly assured performance from Catinca Untara). Both of them are recovering from falls, Roy from a stunt that went horribly wrong whilst trying to impress a woman, and Alexandria from a fall from a tree that left her with a broken arm. In an attempt to win the little girls trust, Roy begins to tell her fantastical story about five outlaws and their battle against the evil Governor Odious, a story that mirrors Roy's own life and his failed romance, but Alexandria's vivid imagination gives the story a life of its own, as people from around the hospital begin to appear in the story in much the same vein as the Wizard of Oz. However, Roy has his own hidden agenda for befriending the little girl, an agenda that soon becomes all to clear to the viewer, but unfortunately not to Alexandria.
The film is a breathtaking spectacle of lush, rich imagery combined with a surprisingly engaging story. Much has been made of the images contained within the film, and there is no denying the fact that they are stunning, with sequences set in some of the most exotic and beautiful locations in 25 countries around the world. With images that are akin to living paintings, the film is undeniably stunning to look at, with several scenes being almost unreal (a particular favourite is a sequence in the governor's castle featuring his heavily armoured guards and a courtyard full of steps...incredibly gorgeous to look at).
However, let's not overlook the simple yet very engaging story. Pace and Untara strike up a gentle chemistry that really works as the story flits back and forth between fantasy and reality, with some nice, gentle humour as reality and fantasy bleed into one another, but finally Roy's true motives are revealed and the story takes a darker turn as Alexandria begins to see the story and real life as one and the same thing. Whilst this film is undoubtedly more style than substance what substance there is goes a long way to making this a very enjoyable visual epic with a nice little morality tale at its heart.

Predominantly set in India , but featuring twenty-five other countries, this is a crisp, clean, visually stunning film. Just like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Hero and House of Flying Daggers redefined what cinema can achieve, Singh's sublime combination of rich colour, Dali-esque imagery and a vivid imagination - from him and Roy (Lee Pace), the injured man telling the story - pushes the boundaries of cinema's capabilities. It is difficult to forget images of an elephant swimming underwater, or spilled tea merging into a blood-stained sheet hiding a fallen hero's body in a hazy desert. The story is an epic fantasy taking advantage of towering sand dunes, the indigo buildings in Jodhpur and lush gardens of the Taj Mahal, but is as memorable as its locations, cleverly combining self-aware humour with a believable air of ethnocentrism (in the 1900s, is an Indian from India or America, for example?). I'm devastated that even though it did the film festival circuit it doesn't appear to be getting a cinematic release, as it is more than worthy of being seen on a big screen. It is undeniably refreshing to see, in this time of green screens and CGI, that a film can still take one's breath away.

Like the other reviewers I can't believe this film didn't get the attention it deserved when it was originally created. I think the success of Guillermo Del Toro has lead to its well overdue release.

It is a stunningly, jaw droppingly beautiful film, which I have to say occasionally works against it, as you find your attention distracted by the breathtaking scenery, when you're trying to concentrate on the admittedly rather paper thin storyline.

The only criticism I really have is that the storyline is flimsy, Tarsem seems to have expended so much time and energy travelling around the world to find exquisite locations that he has neglected to create a story that matches it. However, to be honest you don't really notice that much when you're watching it, and although it lacks an involving storyline, you can't say the same for the characters, Roy & Alexandria truly draw you in.

Roy is a stuntman crippled by a stunt gone wrong. He weaves a fantasy for Alexandria, a young girl with a broken arm, involving people who work at the hospital, his girlfriend and the cast of the film he was working on. Alexandria is entranced by the story and begs him to keep telling her more. Roy is embittered by life experiences and so doesn't shy away from dealing with death and suffering within the fantasy he creates.

Catinca Untaru is a refreshing antidote to the usual child actors, she's so natural it's hard to believe her performance was scripted! Lee Pace is so much better than I thought he'd be, I've seen him in Pushing Daisies and didn't think he'd work as well as he does, you can really feel the pain and frustration of Roy as the film progresses.

Obviously I don't want to spoil what happens in the end, but I will say that towards the end of the film, you'd have to be a hard person not to at least feel moved by the sadness of both Alexandria and Roy. It made me realise how much I'd invested in the characters, and I'm not ashamed to say I cried.

This is a truly beautiful movie, Tarsem set out to create an epic fantasy, and in my eyes he has succeeded. I am so glad I saw this film, I know it won't be the last time I see it either, I would happily see this film again and again!