Over the Holidays I caught up with one of my all-time favorite movies, The Fall.
What is it about?
“In 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 fantastical story about 5 mythical heroes. Thanks to his fractured state of mind and her vivid imagination, the line between fiction and reality starts to blur as the tale advances.”
The film is directed by Tarsem Singh(The Cell) and “presented” by Spike Jonze(Where the Wild Things Are) and David Fincher(Fight Club) aaand..I don’t remember it ever being in theaters in 2006..and it didn’t win any awards. This film flew under my radar until word of mouth wafted the name in my direction many moons ago, probably under a descriptor similar to “dude there’s this whacked out movie with fucked up surrealist shit and you like weird things and you’d probably like it.”
Enchanté.
I really do love everything about the film, from the characters, to the story, and most applicably, the visuals. Serious cinematography. Amazing costumes, lighting, vivid colors and unbelievable backdrops.
Almost the ENTIRE film was shot without the use of CG, which if you have seen it, is hard to believe. The Fall was filmed in 26 locations over 18 countries and it features some of the most beautiful landscapes I will never see.
The cover art for The Fall references Salvador Dali’s “Face of Mae West Which May Be Used as an Apartment”.
There are other artistic nods to Magritte and Escher in the film, and really think this is one DVD I should watch with the Director’s commentary turned on to uncover all the behind the scenes dish and allusions.
For all the surrealist elements of the film, The Fall stays grounded in reality and as one viewer explains, it is “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.” (via imdb boards)
I won’t delve into a wordy critical review of the film as I don’t want to spoil it, but I definitely recommend The Fall(now on Netflix) next rainy day you are unsure what to watch and can’t stand seeing another toddler in a tiara.
And let’s be serious, Lee Pace is in it.
I miss Pushing Daisies. ♥
