The Fall - B-

On DVD

In 1920s Los Angeles, a young man at a long term health facility tells an elaborate story to a young girl about 5 multi-cultural fugitives joining forces to take down a common adversary. The hospital scenes are pedantic and borderline pedophilic. The acting by Oklahoma native Lee Pace and 10 year old Catinca Untaru (whose Romanian accent will get on your last nerve) is labored and distracting at best. But the fantasy sequences are visually astounding. Director Tarsem fills the film with bright colors, interesting angles and lines, and nice textures in every frame - each one almost worth framing. The story has too many twists and the film occasionally feels like The Princess Bride on acid with a similar storytelling device . . .

Tarsem’s similarly titled last film The Cell also suited the ex video director’s sensibility with Jennifer Lopez entering a serial killer’s imagination, thereby giving the director ample opportunity to create amazing visuals. That film is more complete than this one however, with better acting, a coherent plot, and a much more satisfying ending. The Fall never becomes anything but a bunch of beautiful images. However, any film that ends with a montage of some of Buster Keaton’s best stunts can’t be all bad. B-