The Fall Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
A Little Blessing In Disguise.
At a Los Angeles hospital in the 1920s, Alexandria is a child recovering from a broken arm. She befriends Roy Walker, a movie stunt man with legs paralyzed after a fall. At her request, Roy tells her an elaborate story about six men of widely varied backgrounds who are on a quest to kill a corrupt provincial governor. Between chapters of the story, Roy inveigles Alexandria to scout the hospital's pharmacy for morphine. As Roy's fantastic tale nears its end, Death seems close at hand.
| Catinca Untaru | Alexandria |
| Justine Waddell | Nurse Evelyn, Sister Evelyn |
| Lee Pace | Roy Walker, Blue Bandit |
| Kim Uylenbroek | 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 |
| Tarsem Singh |
8.00 out of 10 (17045 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Shameless plagiarism from a Bulgarian classic
posted on 12 Aug 2009The only point Tarsem Singh proves is that stealing ideas cannot compensate for the lack of talent, no matter how much marketing and special effects are used. The Fall is a bastardized version of the Bulgarian classic movie Yo-Ho-Ho (1981). The original story was written not by that shameless pseudo-artist Singh, but by one of the finest Bulgarian contemporary writers, Valery Petrov. For more information on Yo-Ho-Ho, see "http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278827/" and "http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278827/plotsummary" (Yo Ho Ho - plot summary).You can skip the rest of this comment - it's just a filler that I had to put, because of a stupid IMDb policy that user comments cannot be shorter than 10 lines. ^$#@^%$#"The love I dedicate to your lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety. The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance. What I have done is yours; what I have to do is yours; being part in all I have, devoted yours. Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness." Guess who!
The power of stories and our need to hear them
posted on 10 Aug 2009Tarsem's four year labor of love about a little girl in a hospital. She was injured in a fall and is waiting to heal. As she runs about the hospital she makes the acquaintance of a stuntman, also injured in a fall. He begins to tell her a story that spins out and has unexpected repercussions for both of them.Beautiful, one of a kind film is a magical exploration about the power of stories and the need to hear them. Shot all over the world this is a film was clearly shot on location from the pyramids to the Taj Mahal to beautiful islands in the sea (but its not a pirates tale). It is a movie that takes us places and shows us things we have never seen before, even if we have. I love how this film creates the two worlds, one of Los Angeles Once upon a time and the other in the mythical world of the tale. Its so rare that a film gets so much right.While many people will click with the film and its tales of life and adventure, I know some people will be driven to distraction if not by the deliberate pacing then by the fantasy tale which has the feel (rightly) of being made up on the fly. Anyone who's ever made up a story on a fly will be able to relate to having to pull a story out of the things at hand. Yes the real life stuff is logical and in order but the fantasy story is less so with real life influencing what is happening. Once it became clear how what was happening in the lives of the characters was influencing everything I sat on the edge of my seat in order to see how the next twist would happen.This is a magical film for lovers of stories of any sort. (Though its probably a bit too dense for kids-it carries an R rating for reasons I don't understand) I'm guessing that you will be moved.(And I don't think its a pretentious film, I think other than its feelings toward telling stories I don't think there is much going on, just a good tale)
Amazing See In Theaters
posted on 10 Aug 2009A beautiful and amazing film. Like Jean Luc Godard's "Alphaville" which transformed 60's Paris into a dystopian sc-fi planet without the use of special effects, Tarsem's "The Fall" shoots in 18 different countries and transforms some of the most beautiful locations on earth into a surreal fantasia of orange deserts, blue cities, and underwater photography of elephants swimming in the open ocean. The story is deceptively simple tale of a stuntman named Roy, whose taken an emotional and physical fall, meeting a 5 year old Persian girl named Alexandria, who fell and broke her arm working the California Orange grooves,meeting in a hospital in 1920's Los Angeles. Alexandria has lost her father, Roy's lost his girl and is suicidal, and Roy begins telling an epic tale of revenge, staring characters based on hospital staff and historical characters. Five heroes an Italian explosives expert, an Indian Prince, an African self-freed slave, Charles Darwin as young British naturalist who speaks to animals, and a mysterious masked Zorroesque bandit who is at turns Alexandria's father and Roy himself, set out to kill their mutual enemy Governor Odious(The leading man from the film Roy was working on, who stole his girl and drove him to his stunt/suicide?) in the story Roy tells Alexandria, provided she fetch things for him. Like so many oneiric fantasies, this story is about innocence and Romanticism vs. the big bad world, in Don Quixote it was romanticism and fantasy vs reality and deception, "Pans Labrnth" romanticism against fascism, "Brazil' romanticism against bureaucracy, and "The Fall" likewise is romanticism against despair. The film is as grand in it's themes as it is in it's visuals, touching on love, death, despair, story-telling, manipulation, the early days of film making, innocence, cross cultural relationships(when Roy says wigwams describing the Indian's back-story, Alexandria imagines Hindu Palaces.), and reconstructing your life after a trauma, picking up the pieces after the fall. I was glad I saw this in theaters on a big screen, one of the most vibrant and beautiful things I've ever seen anywhere and at anytime. If you've seen Tarsem's first film "The Cell", you've got an idea of this directors abilities to work with both visuals and performers(he mad J-Lo passable). Alxandria is played by one the best child actress I've seen in a very long time, a 5 year old who speaks like a 5 year old, which injects a good helping of humor into the story. Instant classic, If you get a chance, see it.
A labor of love.
posted on 02 Aug 2009Going into The Fall I was a little wary, I didn't know anything about it. Well besides a 10 seconds commercial that sold me. I had this feeling it'd be some type of artsy-fartsy flick and that I'd be making a lousy mistake by spending 8 bucks on it. Actually 18. I bought the Nacho Combo. Well, I'm telling you this, The Fall was a fantastic film, and if you're on the fence about seeing it, get off it and go see The Fall. Oh and to the fat kid who took my ticket, "It's a really weird movie." What the hell are you talking about fatass? It ain't weird in the slightest. Fat crap.Story focuses on a unique relationship between an injured and depressed Stuntman and a charming, bright lil girl. Our bed-ridden stuntman begins to tell our lil leading lady a story, an epic story, about the story of a group of bandits who all share the same goal. Revenge. With him telling the story, our little actress is the one visualizing it. And with a child visualizing the story, only rich imagination follows. And this is what leads this story into classic territory.The Fall could be the most beautiful looking film I've ever seen. Films like What Dreams May Come, or even a film like Apocalypto, have this unique style and feel about them that truly feels gorgeous. This is like that, but above it at the same time. With unbelievable sets and fantastic cinematography, it's really something else altogether. It's the film's real star, but little Cantica Untaru is a very, very close second. Her ability to act at such a young age is ridiculous. Some has to be some type of improv, because her acting feels so innocent and genuine. Either way, fantastic job casting this lil girl.This is a movie most people should really enjoy. It has serious issues of life and death, but it also has great charm and an adventure tale that keeps you entertained. A great date movie for sure, and just an amazing labor of love. This is what movie making is all about.
visually stunning
posted on 31 Jul 2009I was totally unprepared for the visual feast and the enthralling narrative, the words of an adult as imagined by a child. I just saw this movie and can hardly wait to see it again. It beckons you to return, perhaps over and over. My only complaint, the too-tied-up ending giving little credit to the intelligence of the audience. Since this takes less than five minutes of the film's duration, it is scant criticism. The title characters draw you immediately into their lush mental fantasy which serves one's purposes and allows the other to be transported. Together they lead the audience on a journey spanning the globe and their disparate mental landscapes.
"Baraka" meets "Adaptation"
posted on 23 Jul 2009"Once upon a time," reads the caption in "The Fall", there was no movie industry in California, but there were orange trees, and stories; except the stories were contained in books, and sometimes the story required a human voice.Set in the twenties, time is pertinent in "The Fall", as the storyteller weaves his elaborate tale to his young listener. The images generated by the narrator are painterly-looking for an intellectually-based reason, Roy(Lee Pace) grew up visiting museums, not movie houses. The hospital patient has been to a couple of films, but he doesn't know what the fuss is all about. The elaborate compositions in "The Fall" emanate from an art lover. The moving picture that illustrate his words and ideas are paintings come-to-life.Late in "The Fall", the tone of Roy's story changes. Some would say, the thematic elements are unsuitable for Alexandria(Catinca Utaru, his captive audience. But remember, this is the nineteen-twenties; there was no such literature or film(once the ball started rolling) that catered(or is that, condescended) to children, no such thing as niche entertainment. A young girl like Alexandria read Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, not Nancy Drew mysteries, or Judy Blume. Early twentieth-century girls had their periods, too, but they didn't have to read about it.To the movie buff, it should be clear that Tarsem, best known for R.E.M.'s artfully blasphemous "Losing My Religion" video, was inspired by David Fricke's "Baraka" and Spike Jonze's "Adaptation". His love affair with the Dziga Vertov-inspired, pan-cultural film about the world we live in, can even be glimpsed in his video for Deep Forest("Sweet Lullaby"). It's not just the sheer amount of countries that this production touched ground on, "The Fall" actually lifts entire scenes from "Baraka", most pointedly, the scene, in which a shaman chants with his disciples. The influence of the Charlie Kaufman script that starred Nicholas Case and his doppleganger, thankfully, is less obvious. There's a good, sizable chunk of "The Fall" that seems bad, but purposely so, I think, just like the moment in "Adaptation", when Donald Kaufman(the hack that goes to the Robert McKee seminar) takes over the narration from his twin-brother Charlie. In "The Fall", the darker narrative is a reflection on Roy's fatalistic state-of-mind. The subtext, Roy's tragic personal life, is barely kept in check, if at all, when Alexandria asks Roy to pick up the story where he had last left off. The violence isn't senseless. There's a psychologically-based reason for each death, but their renderings, are gratuitous, on the verge of being repetitious. "The Fall" starts to feel like a never-ending story.
A nice movie
posted on 21 Jul 2009I like the movie The Fall,even is a telling story.It's charming and fantastic story. I surprise how Alexandria even is a little girl handling all situation. I like when Roy start to telling the story to Alexandria about the five character,the slave,the Indian,the Egypt,the English man and mask,but sometimes he didn't finish the story and she want him to continued with the story.I like the color full they use on the costumes.Sometimes I laugh and sometimes I feel cry.The wost part is when Alexandria see the boy death laid down on the bad.When she fall from the shell.I think only adults with strong hart can see the movie The Fall.It's too dramatic for a little kids too watch this movie.Ididn't see before other movie like the Fall.I think sensitives person shouldn't see this movie I feel sad when I see Alexandria crying.
Over-polished and somewhat sterile, but not as bad as "Finding Neverland".
posted on 21 Jul 2009TF starts off with Beethoven's terrific 7th, which wouldn't be a problem if only a great movie like "Zardoz" hadn't already had that.This movie does not have stunning photography, it has stunning scenery: there's a difference. The visual quality is unimpressive, the plastic (and far too yellowish) look of the movie drains it of any potential mood it could have had. A bulk of the outdoor hospital scenes look like those ultra-cheesy and annoying AT&T commercials. Everything looks polished to the nth degree: not a single speck of dust or dirt on the screen, and that's not exactly a good thing. There is no standout soundtrack to lend some muscle to the mostly flat proceedings either. TF has its moments, but they are too scattered. Most of the movie lies on the weak shoulders of a small Romanian girl, an uninteresting injured stuntman, and an average script.Unsurprisingly, many people (mostly women probably) loved this film. It has the obligatory weepy sentimental moments which, like any overrated Spielberg movie or bad soap opera, will induce tears in the more undiscriminating viewer (i.e. bored housewife).A hospitalized stuntman makes friends with a girl who has a broken arm. He starts telling her an improvised fantasy-tale, she gets him some morphine in return. He goes back to the tale, she tries to get him some more morphine and falls down in an accident. He is overcome with guilt in the movie's Grand Sappy Scene, so he continues the story, but he's still too selfish hence kills off nearly all of the characters - to the girl's utter dismay. She weeps, and only after her incessant teary-eyed pleading - while covered in bandages which is a result of him misusing her to help in his suicide - does he finally reverse the bleak fantasy-tale ending, this symbolizing his decision to live i.e. not commit suicide.What follows is an ending that I understood to be a homage to the dozens of Hollywood's stunt-men that were either killed or injured during the making of Silent Era movies.When they shot TF, this girl was 8 or 9. So how the hell could they expect us to believe she was only 5? That's a bit of a stretch. She'd have to be suffering from elefantitis to be that large at the age of 5, not to mention too bright for that age. It's always annoying when a 15 year-old plays a 12 year-old, or a 30 year-old portrays a teenager (as in "Grease").Also, if your child actor doesn't speak English proficiently, make sure you instruct her to speak clearly to avoid mumbling. You'll need subtitles during her lines...
If only the material had been as rich as the images then it would have been awesome, otherwise it is only good
posted on 13 Jul 2009Long before I managed to see this film I had heard all about the way it was made, the very limited use of visual effects, the length of time taken to make it, the child actress and so on. The end result in my mind was of a curio piece that must be seen because of how good everyone is saying that it looks cinematography-wise. Due to this I was concerned that it would be all about the visual and that, like The Cell, everything else would be a far second. Happily that is not the case here – or at least not to the extent that it could have been or to the point where the film could be described as "visually stunning but nothing else".Let's get this out of the way first because it is the thing that everyone agrees on – the film is visually stunning and deserves to be seen as big as you can. Just because you can watch a film on a iPod does not mean that one should. Tarsem gets all the praise and he does deserve it but it must also be shared with several others. Specifically cinematographer Watkinson and everyone who was involved in getting the locations. The settings are all great – whether it be the dusty but still warm hospital of reality or the beautiful buildings and landscapes of the story – they are all real and all beautiful. On top of this we have them filmed with a great eye for a shot and they are captured with skill and style – the credit sequence alone being visually captivating. A look at the trailer will also tell you the other thing of note, which is just how rich and full the colours are – fascinating and striking throughout.OK, this we can all agree on and it is almost worth seeing the film for alone, but the story and characters are what makes it for me. Or rather – nearly make it. For the first half of the film we are carried along by the energy, beauty and fun of the story and also the charm of Alexandria in the real scenes. OK there is clearly a dark element underneath this as Roy seeks a release from his pain but it is not in the foreground so much. The film takes a dark turn at some point and there is no doubting the bravery and ambition of it in doing this, but there is a problem. You see up till this point I didn't think the material had been strong enough in the characters to make this dark turn work because essentially it is all about the real world of the story teller, even if a lot of it happens in the story. I can see what it was doing with the connections and the dark themes of death and suicide but it just didn't work as well and it lacked the emotional impact I thought it was aiming for.Part of this falls on the cast but mostly it is in the material. Waddell is a pretty solid lead and comes over natural as the story-teller but his darkness is a bit obvious. The characters in the story are mostly about their physical presence and look; their performances are OK but they are rarely of more meaning than caricatures in a story – which is of course all they are meant to be. The most affecting performance is of course from young Untaru. She is so natural and charmingly dumpy with the dialogue of a child that age – questioning and a bit silly. Amazingly she also performs when emotions are called for in the second half. Although he is not bad, if Walker had delivered the same level of realism and emotion as her this would have lifted the film.It does all still work as a film but it is telling that it weakens when the darker turn occurs – just when it should have been more complex, more confident with the material. It does sort of work and I'm sure those totally caught up in it will not notice but for me it just didn't hammer it all home as I had hoped. What this leaves is a beautiful film that gets close to delivering emotionally as well as it does visually but doesn't manage it when it gets to the time where it needs to step it up. Far from a matter of "style without substance" but I left it quite disappointed that the material hadn't gutted me in the second half.
LIke a dream
posted on 03 Jul 2009Dream sequences from movies are always shown differently from the dominant story lines, whether its through different filming techniques, or if they're really inventive, bizarre costumes and settings. Most of the latter are so visually tantalizing that they are usually some of the more memorable sequences of the movie, and leave you wanting more. Director Tarsem has a special gift for audiences who see his new film, "The Fall:" half of the movie is like this.Alexandria (Catinca Untaru) is in the hospital with a broken arm. By accident, she meets and makes friends with a fellow patient, Roy Walker (Lee Pace). Roy entertains the little girl with an epic tale about five bandits on a quest to defeat Governor Odious (David Caltagirone). But Roy has some darker motives for telling this tale.Our dreams are influenced by our reality, so it makes sense that the tale, as seen through Alexandria's imagination, is heavily influenced by her reality (most obviously by the characters being played by people at the hospital). However except in a few instances, this is not very clear because we do not see the connection between some of the characters in reality and their alter-egos in the tale. Still, the overall influence is clear enough to show what Tarsem wants to show.Typically in a film where there are two story lines running at the same time, one of the stories (usually the most visually interesting one) is shown more at the expense of the other. "The Fall" is different. It's actually the story between Roy and Alexandria that takes up the bulk of the film. This isn't as big of a problem as one might think because their story is the more compelling one, believe it or not. Still, it shortchanges the "epic tale," which hurts both that storyline, and the film overall. More importantly, I was left wanting more. Tarsem had the same problem with his previous film, "The Cell." I think what happened is that Tarsem understands the temptation to spend more time on the more visual story than the other one, so he overcompensated. The problem is that he went a little to far and the film is slightly off balance.Like "The Cell," the visuals are astounding, even in the Roy/Alexandria story. The fantasy sequences look straight out of a magazine ad, and it works. They are bizarre, but in an other-worldly sort of way. After six years from "The Cell" (four of those working on this film), Tarsem clearly has not lost his touch with costumes or scenery. While they are not as "out there" as they were in his previous film, which is saying a lot, they fit perfectly."The Fall" is highly recommendable, and a feast for the eyes and the mind.Note: I don't understand how this film was given an "R" rating. There is no justification for it. There is minimal violence, all of which is stylized but not graphic. There are are a few disturbing images, but not enough to warrant such a stiff rating, especially since like the violence in the film, they are heavily stylized. This is clearly PG-13 material.
Wasn't this movie supposed to blow me away?
posted on 21 Jun 2009Adventure, drama, fantasy and a 8.0 rating with over 15,000 votes. Not to mention 14 pages of comments that showered it with endless praise. I couldn't have been more sure that this would be a great movie.As it turns out, I was wrong.I'm sure there's genius to be seen, if you look hard enough. But overall it's uneventful and completely failed to create any attachment to the characters. The story told in the movie is intriguing at first, but quickly becomes dull. Which leaves only the beautiful scenery and Catinca's contagious grin to keep this movie above 5/10. Luckily they do, but not by much.I wouldn't recommend anyone to watch this movie, but I wouldn't advice against it either. If you do watch it, I hope that it strikes closer to home for you than it did with me.
A Visual Feast For The Eyes...
posted on 21 Jun 2009THE FALL is going to rank up there as one of the most visually stunning films you've probably never heard of. Filmed in India, France, Romania, Indonesia, Africa, Italy, the Maldives, Turkey, Nepal, Egypt, China, the Czech Republic, Fiji, Indonesia, and the U.S., the film's broad leaps from continents and countries makes for some incredible shots that fall across the screen time and again.Combining both child-like fantasy and human frailty, the story is seen through the eyes of a child named Alexandria (unknown 9-year-old starlet Catinca Untaru). Recovering at a hospital in 1920s Los Angeles, she stumble upon a severely injured stuntman named Roy (Lee Pace, THE GOOD SHEPHERD). Roy wants nothing more than to end his now miserable existence by overdosing on morphine. And he sees a way to get it when Alexandria comes to him as a friend. He regales her with a fantastical story about bandits, adventurous scientists and freed slaves. We, the audience, view the storytelling through the mind of Alexandria as she interprets what Roy tells her, making for some pretty lighthearted moments. But mixed amongst them is the seriousness of what Roy wants from her: for her to get a bottle of medicine so he can commit suicide.As the story Roy tells her comes to a close, and he becomes more desperate for the drugs, Alexandria "falls" and re-injures herself while trying to obtain the medication Roy wanted in order to end his life. Adding to her injuries, Roy must finish the story by telling her who lives and who dies, but Alexandria isn't ready for that "fall". Is Roy ready? That, as they say, is where the real story rests, and where the real story ends.The acting isn't stellar by any means, but the sweeping vistas, amazing dissolves, and nearly painted-on, picture-perfect shots will have most watchers' mouths gaping. The intimacy of the story and how it unfolds also adds an emotional uniqueness that will probably surprise most viewers. I know I was.If you want something that's a stunning spectacle in the style of THE CELL and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, then you'll gobble up The Fall.
Thinking outside the Cell
posted on 07 Jun 2009If you have David Fincher and Spike Jonze "presenting" your movie, you have to have something going for you. While the tag "acclaimed" director might feel a bit stretched (at least for me) for the guy who was formerly known to show us Jennifer Lopez in the Cell (especially her refrigerator scene is very memorable, although not many other things are), he does have a visual style that is original. And with The Fall, the story does his visuals justice too (contrary to the Cell experience).Visually he has his own almost unique style, the story however seems borrowed. But lending from the fairytale structure isn't a bad thing. It kind of reminded me of the movie "Princess Bride" a bit. Of course a much more mature alternate version of that. The R-rating has it's reasons. I like the movie, but the "stubborness" and a sort of mood change at the end of the movie, might make it an unpleasant view for some (mainstream?) audience members.
Cute Fantasy Film
posted on 14 May 2009The Fall is a simple story about an imaginary tale being told by an suicidal stunt actor to a 5 year old girl. The visuals are very creative and very colorful,very much like how a young child would imagine a fairy tale. The story however was not very creative, very simple and sometimes boring as it has no twist or suspense or comic relief. I agree with some of the reviews that the story is not very engaging or emotional. The story does not really come together at the end with a big epiphany or great conclusion. The best thing about the film is the little girl, she is so cute. She made everyone in the audience smile! The Fall is not a great film, it doesn't have the core of a good story but it is a very good film to watch. Something different, visually creative and colorful, with a sweet funny little girl.
Seeds of Scheherazade
posted on 08 May 2009THE FALL is one of the more stunningly beautiful cinematic works to be created in recent years. Vibrant young director Tarsem Singh, born in India and trained at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, produced, directed and wrote (with Dan Gilroy, Nico Soultanakis, and Valery Petrov) this magical tale that blends fantasy, illusion, dreams, and altered reality with one of the more touching stories imaginable. The film takes many risks and for this viewer they all work. With only one other film ('The Cell') in his bag, this splendid work signals the arrival of a new Dali/Fellini/Bunuel figure in cinema. The setting is a hospital in Los Angeles sometime in the 1920s where a little immigrant girl Alexandria (the amazing Romanian child actress Catinca Untaru) is recovering from a broken arm. She waders the hospital looking for something to help her while away the hours and comes upon a kind patient Roy Walker (Lee Pace) who has been through numerous operations and is addicted to morphine. The two form a friendship through Roy's willingness to weave stories for Alexandria (much in the same vein as Scheherazade) and in Roy's stories the various patients and personnel of the hospital take on fantasy roles: there are five men (including Roy as the Blue Bandit) who are attempting to kill Governor Odious (Daniel Caltagirone) including Darwin (Leo Bill), the Mystic (Julian Bleach), Otta Benga (Marcus Wesley) and other fascinating characters. How the stories intertwine with Roy and Alexandria as friends and as victim of morphine abuse and supplier of the drug makes for a complex, multifaceted adventure that takes place in beautiful, strange locales throughout the world. How the relationship between Roy and Alexandria develops amidst all the surreal tales is the focus of the film. The cinematography (Colin Wilkinson), costumes (Eiko Ishioka) and musical score (Krishna Levy) enhance the beauty of the film, as does the transition into the creation of silent movies that opens and closes the film. There is more in this little film than one viewing could ever completely reveal. Visit it once and become as addicted to the magic as was the king to Scheherazade's endless tales. Grady Harp
An Inventive Epic Drama
posted on 02 May 2009The Fall is an obscure, but priceless gem. Tarsem Singh, known only for The Cell, has created one of the best modern fantasy movies, blending an epic storyline with a heartwarming relationship between a little girl and an injured stuntman.Alexandria, a young immigrant, is at a hospital recovering from a fall that broke her arm. She's curious and restless and wonders around, charming everyone with her good spirits. One day she meets a man, Roy, lying in bed. He begins telling her a story involving heroes, evil kings, far-way lands, princesses and lots of magic. She's captivated, of course; but in return for his story, Roy asks her to bring him pills he needs to sleep. Roy is trying to kill himself, but Alexandria doesn't understand that.This is a fascinating story about the loss of innocence: on the one hand, Roy narrates a marvellous story, and we can't help cheering as he and Alexandria write themselves into it as the heroes. On the other hand, it's disturbing to see the way he uses her for his own ends. Many times his story reflects his mental state: when he's happy, everything is alright; but when he becomes upset, the story becomes darker.The finale is beautiful and fitting for both stories, both the magical one and the real one.And then there are the technical aspects. Visually speaking, this movie is unforgettable. The cinematography is rich in bright colors and breath-taking landscapes. The costumes are inventive and otherworldly, sometimes frightening, sometimes comical. Locations were chosen all over the world for shooting, making this movie a visual feast of different architectural styles.But in the end the heart of the movie is the young Catinca Untaru and Lee Pace. Their performances were so good I found myself crying at times, so good was their friendship portrayed on screen. This is a marvellous movie, worthy of children and adults alike.
I haven't been touched by a film like this in a long time...
posted on 26 Apr 2009Don't have much time to write, but let me just say that the fact that this movie was hardly released in theatres is a crime..It is a masterpiece, plain and simple.Those who say that Tarsem is just an "image" guy, do not see the real magic at work in the reality scenes of this film.The little girl in this film is absolutely wonderful.I haven't cried this much in a film since I re-watched the Elephant Man.Thank you Tarsem, in a perfect world you would not have to spend your own money to make another film, but I hope you keep making tons of money directing commercials, so you can finance another personal project like this one, if no other options are available.You have my utter respect and admiration. Maurice Devereaux
Expected more from a 8.0 no Princess Bride.
posted on 18 Apr 2009I have never seen a trailer or heard anyone of my friends comment about this movie. Considering that it was a 2006 film with a appeal similar to "Princess Bride" I decided to watch it with enthusiasm. The visuals were an 8.0 plus the cute little girls performance, but that's about it for me. The characters of this story lacked personality. You could not really get a feel for their individual motives creating their quest better yet, enjoy their screen presence . Although it has the same theme about an elder telling a child a story about love,adventure, and fantasy, If your expecting it to out do "Princess Bride" or be just as good you may be disappointed.
Amazing movie
posted on 16 Apr 2009I love this movie. |I watch this movie in March 2008. And for me this is the best movie in 2008 along with The |Dark Knight. Lee Pace so handsome and did a great job in this movie. He could expressed a miserable and desperate man wonderfully. And Catinca Untaru, all my attention right to her. I love this little girl, I love the way he talk and i love the way he look at |Lee Pace. I love this movie very very much.Affecting moments are 1. When Roy desperate and want to ill himself and then Alexandria fall when to get the medicine for Roy, that so touchy 2. The moment when Alexandria watch movies and thought that all stuntman in the movies is Roy.Love it, love it and love it. Catinca and Lee Pace are awesome.
Wonderful story of two damaged people...
posted on 20 Aug 2009First of let me just say I loved this movie and plan on watching it again very soon. There is so much symbolism and so many cultural references in this story, I need to take a closer look at it. But at the heart of the film is a very simple story of an injured stunt man and an injured little girl, each of them the victim of a fall. Of course, Roy has fallen emotionally as well as physically suffering from an incurable broken heart he seems hell bent on self destruction and tries to trick Alexandria into procuring Morphine to find this end. But in doing so embarks upon a wild story which we, the audience, see through the eyes of this little girl. She interprets everything into the things she's familiar with in her own little universe. Like, when he mentions an Indian she visualises an Asian Indian like the one who works on the orange grove. At first the hero of the story is seen as her father but soon, the masked bandit, becomes Roy and so Roy becomes her father figure. The one thing that did confuse me a little in this film was the inclusion of the Charles Darwin character and his pet monkey, Wallace, who's idea's he steals and passes off as his own. This is obviously a reference to Alfred Wallace, who wrote about natural selection around the same time as Darwin and that many believe to be the true father of natural selection. Okay, but how does this fit in with Roy, what does it represent? Incidentally, I thought that the death of Wallace was the saddest part of the picture or flicker as Roy may have called it. Another thing I'm wondering about is, did Roy become a drug addict because of his broken heart or was he already one and that's how he lost the girl? Then there's Alexandria's past and the "angry people" that destroyed her home in Romania. The vision we see when she falls trying to get Roy more drugs is quite disturbing and it's then that we realise that she is almost as damaged as Roy is. The little actress that played her was amazing. The only thing I knew about this movie before I saw it was that the director filmed all the scenes in the hospital in chronological order. Because of this we watch the child grow slightly, the gap in her teeth change and her English improve.