Reading about this movie on a list I posted the other day, I was reminded of how much I'd liked it, so I looked up this review from 2008. After six years, I can say that I've thought about this movie a number of times, and I haven't changed me opinion. In fact, I think it's worth watching a second time.
What I didn't mention the first time around is that The Fall strongly reminded of a J. D. Salinger short story, "The Laughing Man," one of my favorites. So I'm mentioning it now. The original comments on the movie are below.
The Fall is the best-looking movie I've seen in a long time. It bombed at the box office, and in fact was barely released. Maybe nobody knew how to sell it. Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies) plays a stuntman in early 20th century Hollywood. He's been crippled in a fall. He's suicidal and in a hospital in which a young girl played by Catinca Untaru (in a fine performance) is also a patient. Pace begins telling her stories, starring himself as the Blue Bandit, to persuade her to get him the pills he needs to kill himself. The tales of the Blue Bandit get grimmer as they come to an end. The girl is hurt in a fall herself, but she recovers, and the magic of the movies brings her happiness later on as she works in the orange groves with her family. Judy found this movie boring and slow. I can see why, but even in the slower parts, it's a wonder to look at. One of these days when you want to see something completely different, rent this one and see what you think.
5 comments:
Never heard of it. (I'm sure I read your review the first time but six years ago? Phfft. Gone.
Jeff
I missed this one. It sounds like my kind of movie though. Boring and slow.
Action isn't everything. Sometimes a boring movie is just what we need to come back down to Earth. I'll have to look into this one. Thanks for reminding us, Bill.
I adored this movie. I didn't find any of it boring at all. I thought it was a visual splendor. The idea that what the audience sees is the little girl's odd interpretation of what she is being told to be rather brilliant. But after I watched it I made the mistake of viewing the "Behind the Scenes" video on the DVD and discovered what a tyrant the director Tarsem Singh was and how he verbally brutalized the little girl throughout the filming reducing to her to tears many times. I hear the man is not at all nice in real life. No kidding based on what I watched!
That's too bad, but I still like the movie a lot, anyway.
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