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158 out of 182 people found the following review useful: Visually spectacular and emotionally engaging, 6 January 2007 Author: shaansahota from United Kingdom
The Fall is a charming, fantastical story with a haunting undertone and features the most endearing child actress since Jacques Doillon's Ponette... what more could a film boast? Moreover, this film could be watched on mute and still make a lasting impression on the viewer through its striking imagery. The Fall is the story of Alexandria, an injured immigrant child wandering the hospital where she is being treated. The viewer is drawn, with Alexandria into a dark and extravagant world through the story of a maimed stuntman who she befriends. The skilled interaction between the finely divided reality and fantasy is reminiscent of David Cronenberg's eXistenZ. I can not recommend this film any more strongly.
157 out of 187 people found the following review useful: Great Film, 21 February 2007 Author: Andrew Broughton from United Kingdom
Its been 5 days since i saw this film now, and I'm still thinking about it. It achieves an intense feeling of epic grandeur with its fantasy scenes, which are visually mesmerising. The casting was excellent, i thought the acting was very good, especially since all the actors/actresses are fairly unknown, especially the girl who plays Alexandria - an incredibly natural performance; this can probably be attributed to Tarsem's approach.This film will make you laugh and cry simultaneously and has a profound effect on the viewer.I actually found viewing it somewhat humbling, i just tried to appreciate it tot he best of my ability.
124 out of 143 people found the following review useful: Remarkable, 16 May 2008 Author: jonathan-medina-1 from United States
If you have not seen, or in fact, heard, of this movie, let me be the first to tell you about it.This was and is the sort of experience that first enraptured and astounded me as regards to the movies. A story told in such a way as to become a part of your awareness, a gentle reminder of the fantastic, mythical and magical components of what is best in humanity whilst not forgetting what it means to be human.Breathtaking does not even begin to describe the cinematography. The colors, the framing, costumes, lighting, and the backdrops are gorgeous; like something out of a dream. If this was just a visually moving film, that would be enough but there is so much more.Tarsem Singh's direction is possessed. He manages to capture a kaleidoscope of emotion as diverse and generous as the tones and colors that deliver this movable feast for the eyes. His motley casting of relatively unknown actors is inspiring and refreshing.The acting is extraordinary. Both poignant and comical, this journey of heartbreak and revenge, of discovery and friendship is conveyed with joy, witticism, curiosity and a vulnerability that is so rare in life, never mind in movies, it left me humbled. Especially the young Romanian girl, Catinca Untaru, who, not only made her big screen debut in this movie but is the heart and soul of the film in a breakthrough performance that I am sure will garner rave reviews.It is my sincerest hope that you find this movie as emotive, tender and touching as I.
105 out of 125 people found the following review useful: Amazing in its independence and purity., 3 January 2008 Author: Avery from Moscow, Russia
It had seven days of delay - being promised to be released on December 27th, it got in theaters only by January 3rd. It wasn't that much of a delay, but it bothered. Anyway, I have just seen it and boy was I amazed. Imagine "300"'s picture having one of the deepest plots that have ever been made and having the independence that even the most indiest indie film would have times ten. Imagine the stories that you made up and lived in under the blanket of your bed at night when your parents were asleep. Imagine that you still have an imagination of a child and an experience of a grown-up who had been struck by the truth that usually breaks people's dreams and illusions. This is "The Fall". Honestly, I have never seen anything like this before. Being all obsessed with movies and watching every single one that seems interesting, I have never ever seen such power and independence in a film. Independent films usually have their common indie feel - a crooky picture that shows protest to all the camera glamour that most of Hollywood films have, lack of dialogues filled with deep thoughtful pauses and this pretentiousness that screams "this is a masterpiece protest to Hollywood!". Hell no - "The Fall" has nothing of that at all. Having a breathtakingly gorgeous picture, it has smart dialogues and striking truth that is being told by a broken man to a little dreamful girl. This is not a protest - this is just a story one man named Tarsem had courage to tell. I may call it a genius piece of cinematography, a masterpiece and something like that, but loud words like these doesn't fit this experience that you will have to encounter by yourself. Believe me, you won't find the right words to describe the feel that you will have after watching this one.
103 out of 124 people found the following review useful: Beautiful, moving and surprisingly accessible, 6 January 2007 Author: hardkaur from London, England
I saw this film in the Toronto Film Festival and was somewhat surprised by how much I enjoyed it, and the extent to which I was engaged in the reality that it creates. Catinca Untaru's performance is heartwarming and completely captivating, a truly lovable child-star whose appeal is based upon her authenticity and talent as opposed to her ability to bat her eyelids or wrinkle her nose. Her relationship with Roy (Lee Pace) is touching to behold and more importantly, entirely believable. Of course, as expected with Tarsem Singh as a director the film is visually stunning, featuring Baraka-like eye candy, which in itself deserves rave reviews and as a subsidiary to the story creates something quite spectacular. The use of worldwide locations allowed Tarsem to share some truly beautiful images with the viewers, and teamed with Catinca's acting left the audience as putty in his hands, laughing and crying as he wished.
86 out of 93 people found the following review useful: Spectacular, Arresting Visuals and Clever Storyline, 26 April 2008 Author: Indiefilmbuff from LA, California, United States
I saw this film two weeks before its scheduled release at the Los Angeles Indian Film Festival at the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood. The film saw a surprise premiere after another in the festival was canceled. The visuals are like nothing I have ever seen before: spectacular, epic, ... words cannot describe this masterpiece of cinematography. Every scene is a work of art. The color palate is so rich, from the bright orange of desert mountains, to the vibrant red of a blood-soaked sheet, to the opulent green of the Indian's attire. The first five minutes of the film were arresting, the haunting soundtrack, the beautiful black and white images, I had goosebumps.The acting seems very candid, very real. The young Romania actress playing the role of Alexandria is adorable, and Lee Pace as always is superb as the hospitalized, paraplegic stuntman. The characters were absorbing, and the story captivating. And where many films were unworthy of the title of "A Fairy-tale for Adults" this film truly is. It is about love, death, adventure, responsibility, and growing up.The sheer magnitude of this film is unbelievable, shot in 18 countries, spanning many years (for the director to scout locations and cast appropriate actors) it is a true work of genius and a commitment by all cast and crew. I just hope that the filmmakers get enough out of the commercial end of this movie, to compensate them for the great effort that so obviously went into the making of this film and so that we might possibly get another like it in the future.
88 out of 104 people found the following review useful: A grand journey, 18 January 2007 Author: whitehotjazz from SoCal, United States
I saw this film recently at a test screening. For me it worked brilliantly on so many levels. Not the least of which is in it's originality. This is a film unlike any other and one that kept me thinking about it for days afterward. Director Tarsem Singh, as expected,delivers every scene as a work of beauty, and peppers the film throughout with visual surprises. But The Fall is about much more than eye candy. High adventure, spectacular vistas, love, betrayal, and two lead actors who develop a relationship that is actually moving in more than a superficial way. Think David Lean as filtered through Jean-Pierre Jeaunet. The Fall is simply Tarsem Singh's love letter to cinema.
82 out of 99 people found the following review useful: Totally Blown AWAY ....., 18 March 2008 Author: bradpittsbodyguard from United States
I was absolutely blown away. I absolutely had no idea really what this movie was about and I didn't do any research on it and met a friend to see this screening and I have to tell you THIS IS film MAKING!!! I loved every minute of it!!!! I don't know why it hasn't been released but this is one movie I have to have in my video library to watch and watch over again. Story telling at its ultimate highest. I was very impressed with Catinca Untaru "Alexandria", I would love to see more of her, very talented not to mention Lee Pace, you can tell they worked very well together. I can not wait to see this movie again. I felt the ending was closure. Dan Gilroy - you need to write more often-I just can't say enough about this film. The cinematography ....is just awesome. Please release this film, I wanna see it again.
90 out of 115 people found the following review useful: If you liked Cinema Paradiso and the Princess Bride then you will also love this film., 25 September 2006 Author: thekingoftaisho from United States
I saw this movie at the Toronto film festival, the Elgin Theater.First off, it was nice to see a film where the director had complete creative control to execute his vision. This film does not suffer the fate of marketers or no talent Hollywood producers who think they are artist or visionaries.If you liked Cinema Paradiso and the Princess Bride then you will also love this film. Tarsem's lavish imagery and fantastic locations create the atmosphere for an epic adventure, while the acting of Lee Pace, Justine Waddell and especially, Cantinca Untaru provide the drama and laughter.First, Cantinca Untaru as Alexandria is superb. I normally avoid films with children as they are usually cheesy or groan worthy. Cantinca, however, is much like the little boy in Cinema Paradiso, a natural child. When Alexandria says things we believe her, when she does things it is her child like nature we are watching come out. There is nothing stiff or unnatural about this young actress and it is a great credit to Tarsem as a director that he was able to pull this level of acting from a child. While watching the movie, I was amazed at how Tarsem and Cantinca were able to move the audience from laughter to tears and back to laughter so fluidly. Lee Pace puts in an excellent show and does a great job as a suicidal patient in the hospital, but Cantinca is definitely the star of this show.Tarsem has a great eye for location and he exhibits it well in this movie. It truly was shot all over the world. Along with all the great locations are the beautifully colorful costumes of fashion designer Eiko Ishioka. The costumes are larger than life and beautiful in their symbolism.So having said all that, I would highly recommend this movie. This is one of those rare films that actually does have a bit of something for everyone yet keeps its integrity.
68 out of 77 people found the following review useful: Imagine, if you will..., 2 June 2008 Author: VoodooKlown from USA
Tarsem's 'The Fall' is a bi-polar, surrealistic dream. Taking the reins from similarly structured films such as 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen', 'The Princess Bride', and 'Pan's Labyrinth', it thrusts us between two worlds; back and forth - at a pace that is still unlike anything that we've ever seen before. Our two stories intertwine in grand harmony - that of the little girl (Catinca Untaru) with a broken arm befriending a crippled Hollywood stuntman (Lee Pace) with an epic fable, and that of the fable itself; which involves a band of outcasts seeking revenge on the evil Governor Odeous. Our stuntman Roy manages to keep little Alexandria interested in his story by conforming it to her imagination. Everything is not as it seems with Roy, however, and we learn quickly that he has his own reasons for spinning this tale for his pint-sized audience member. Tarsem manages to pull wonderful performances from his two leads. Catinca, especially, is so adorable that one cannot help but fall in love with her.Shot over several years and in several countries, the landscapes and liquid paintings that Tarsem has created are among some of the most stunning visuals you will ever see. He pulled this off in his previous work, 'The Cell', but with a much darker tone. It's such a unique dream-like style that we as the audience cannot escape it. It mesmerizes you and bewilders you at the same time. Simply gorgeous.The storyline itself was classic fairytale. Its engaging and it pays off several steps of the way through. 'The Fall' is a much more visual trip though, as opposed to its much more emotional and darker cousin, 'Pan's Labyrinth'. Does that mean it's as light-hearted as 'Princess Bride'? No - it definitely has its dark moments, its gut-checks; but never really goes all the way over. I saw this film with Tarsem in Chicago and he said that he wanted to go much darker than the film did, but little Catinca would not let him. So you've got the character of Alexandria dictating the story to Roy in the film, and the actress Catinca dictating the story to Tarsem on the other side of the lens. I found this to be an interesting revelation.In closing, I found 'The Fall' to be visually arresting and quite an engaging story. Because this was such a unique experience, I feel I have to rate it in two different senses - the story itself and the visual art accompaniment. So, I'll say the story is a 7/10 and the visuals rank in on the Spinal Tap over-scale of 12/10.Don't miss it.-iii
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