The Fall (2006)

Director:

Tarsem Singh

Writers (WGA):

Dan Gilroy (screenplay) and
Nico Soultanakis (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

30 May 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

Tagline:

A Little Blessing In Disguise.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | Indian | Governor | 1920s | Quest

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Catinca Untaru	...	Alexandria
Justine Waddell	...	Nurse Evelyn / Sister Evelyn
Lee Pace	...	Roy Walker / Blue Bandit
Kim Uylenbroek	...	Doctor / Alexander the Great
Aiden Lithgow	...	Alexander's Messenger
Sean Gilder	...	Walt Purdy
Ronald France	...	Otto
Andrew Roussouw	...	Mr. Sabatini
Michael Huff	...	Dr. Whitaker
Grant Swanby	...	Father Augustine
Emil Hostina	...	Alexandria's Father / Bandit
Robin Smith	...	Luigi / One Legged Actor
Jeetu Verma	...	Indian / Orange Picker
Leo Bill	...	Darwin / Orderly
Marcus Wesley	...	Otta Benga / Ice Delivery Man

MPAA:

Rated R for some violent images.

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

India | UK | USA

Language:

English | Romanian

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | USA:R | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario/Saskatchewan) | Canada:G (Quebec) | UK:15 (cut) | Finland:K-13 | South Korea:12 | Germany:12 | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Agra Fort, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India

Company:

Absolute Entertainment (II)

Trivia:

While trying to get financing for the film, Tarsem Singh put together a small memory box much like Alexandria and used it as a tool during pitch meetings.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As Otta Benga is carrying Alexandria away from where Governor Odious' men are killing the Mystic, there is an overhead shot in which the viewer can clearly see Odious' men purposefully missing the Mystic with their kicks and stomps, so as not to injure the actor.

Quotes:

Alexandria: They burned it.
Roy Walker: Who burned it?
Alexandria: Angry people.
Roy Walker: I'm sorry to hear that.
Alexandria: Hmm?
Roy Walker: I said I'm sorry to hear that.
Alexandria: [confused] ... angry people.
Roy Walker: Yeah, I know I'm just sorry. I'm sorry that your house got burned.

Movie Connections:

Features One A.M. (1916)

Soundtrack:

Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92, II. Allegretto

If you liked Cinema Paradiso and the Princess Bride then you will also love this film.

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.