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Fall, The
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MPAA RATING: R for some violent images
Starring Lee Pace, Catinca Untaru, Justine Waddell, and Julian Bleach
Los Angeles, circa 1920s: A little immigrant girl finds herself in a hospital recovering from a fall. She strikes up a friendship with a bedridden man, who captivates her with a whimsical story that removes her far from the hospital doldrums into the exotic landscapes of her imagination. Making sure he keeps the girl interested in the story, he interweaves her family and people she likes from the hospital into his tale. (Roadside Attractions)
| GENRE(S): | Adventure | Drama | Fantasy |
| WRITTEN BY: |
Valeri Petrov (1981 screenplay Yo Ho Ho)
Tarsem Singh Nico Soultanakis Dan Gilroy |
| DIRECTED BY: | Tarsem Singh |
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: September 9, 2008 Theatrical: May 9, 2008 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 117 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | India | UK | USA |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The average user rating for this movie is 8.1 (out of 10) based on 29 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Dave gave it a5:
I have a hard time understanding all the 10's for this film. For me to give a 10, it has to be pretty much flawless, and this film was FAR from that. While it was extremely good visually, the story itself left a lot to be desired. In fact, if it wasn't for the great cinematography, I would probably give it a lower number. This was nowhere near the quality of some of the other films I have seen this year such as The Edge of Heaven, Wall-E, 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days or even Iron Man.
Nrg Dude gave it a0:
Major Disappointment! We have been looking forward to this film based on the reviews and trailers only to leave the theater shaking our heads wondering how much lower movies can go. All the good scenes were in the trailer. It totally lacks any real story and leaves you with an empty feeling. After only 20 minutes you could care less about the characters in the movie. The only reason we can see why a critic might like this movie is that *all* movies are so poorly written and lacking in any story arc as to make this one look somewhat good. In a world of blind men, a one-eyed man is king. Save your money.
Mark M. gave it a9:
An absorbing movie worth multiple viewings. The rare movie that presents the world as seen through a child's eyes in a convincing way. More than a little confusing at times (again, multiple viewings).
Matt K gave it a10:
A fantastic movie from a director who I had only previously known from the ridiculous "The Cell." I gave him a second chance with this film and am glad that I did. Besides the amazing visual that even its worst critics agree to be breathtaking, we have a wonderful reality plot juxtaposed by the fantastic story in the background. The story does a great job of showing how the story being told is not necessarily seen as intended, with the young girl's mind making its own decisions on how things visually happen (e.g. the Indian Roy describes is not of the Eastern variety). I agree with Ellen C that this should be seen in the theater if possible, but I will still be purchasing a copy as soon as it is on DVD.
James N. gave it a5:
Beautiful but dumb, and frustrating because the concept could have be astounding. There needed to be less flamboyance, and more plot, and message.
d h gave it a9:
When you were very young; when storybooks were read to you ... do you remember creating worlds so vivid that they were simply real, when you closed your eyes and imagined them to be? The Fall will invite comparisons to Pan's Labyrinth, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and maybe even The Wizard of Oz. It's a grown-up's storybook - a chance for you to sit down, revert back to your childhood, and become engrossed in make-believe again. However, if you've forgotten how to do that, you might have already outgrown this kind of film. This is storytelling as a fine art that not everyone will remember how to appreciate. Filmed in 18 countries over four years, this is also one of the most visually stunning movies I've seen. The symbolic uses color coupled with the rich palette, as well as the minimalist cinematography, create visual emotion like few films ever have. This one's better on the biggest screen you can find. In the end, The Fall is an ode to the magic of cinema.
Donna S gave it a10:
Ingenious tale with vivid imagery. The two main characters work in unison to make the most of unfortunate circumstance. Together, they weave a story that is comical, tragic, adventurous and riveting. The story is told by an adult and the visions are as interpreted by the child....Worth a post movie dinner dissection!

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