The Fall

Friday night, being too exhausted to do much else, I popped in The Fall. This has to rank as one of the best films I've seen in a while. Probably the best since The Dark Knight. I really didn't know much about the movie going in so I'll try not to give away too much.

The Fall takes place primarily in a hospital where Roy, a silent film stunt man, has broken his back and is paralyzed from the waist down. He befriends a young girl, Alexandria, with a broken arm who likes to wander around the hospital to relieve her boredom. Roy begins telling Alexandria a story and we view the story through her imagination. It isn't too long before we find out that Roy is suicidal and is only telling the story in the hopes of persuading Alexandria to steal some morphine for him to over dose.

It may sound a little bleak, but ultimately it is a story about hope. I'm a sucker for a fairy tale, and the story told by Roy comes across as very fairy tale-esque. It is a visually stunning - I watched it on blu ray, and if you have high definition available you should take advantage. There is more too it than amazing imagery though. The pacing is a little slower than your typical Hollywood fare and in my opinion is perfect. A lot of movies seem too rushed for me, but The Fall takes it's time and allows you to absorb the story and develop an attachment to the characters without being boring.

Some reviewers have called it self indulgent and shallow, but those reviewers are wrong. The story is captivating and unravels like a tapestry. The young girl who played Alexandria did a wonderful job and the rest of the cast was terrific as well. I'm starting to lose my concentration and before I get any more nonsensical I'll just say go watch The Fall. You'll thank me later.