When commercials and music video director Tarsem’s first feature, THE CELL, was released it was ignored by the public and mauled by the critics, rather unfairly, as being pretentious nonsense. It had a good cast, an interesting idea for a cop procedural and absolutely stunning imagery. It was probably those visuals that brought most of the negative reviews, because of their surreal nature, which, like Dali’s paintings, aren’t generally understood or appreciated. Undeterred, Tarsem has created another visual feast of movie, which he mostly self-funded, that is the polar opposite in mood to THE CELL, although no less inventive.
THE FALL is essentially a children’s fable along the lines of THE WIZARD OF OZ and PRINCESS BRIDE. Set in 1920s’ California, stuntman Roy (Lee Pace from Pushing Daisies) is hospitalised with a back injury, and a broken heart. He is befriended by young Alexandria, another patient, and he starts recounting a tale to her, which comes to life onscreen, incorporating characters from around the hospital (a la OZ). The luscious costumes and settings of the fantasy sequences are a legacy of THE CELL and supply the film’s eye candy, but it is the interaction of the two leads that give this film its real charm, especially Catrinca Untara’s performance as Alexandria, which is totally captivating in its innocence and spontaneity. Although it could be classified as a fantasy film it is far more and transcends genre in the way PAN’S LABYRINTH did, but without PAN’S darkness or brutality.
THE FALL is on general release in the UK from October 3 through Momentum Pictures.
Listen to Chris Patmore’s interview with director Tarsem on the SCI-FI-LONDON podcast.
Review: Chris Patmore