The other day I got a haircut and my hairdresser, knowing that I contribute to CoP, went on about how I simply must go see and do a review of The Fall (2006). When I asked her, what it’s about she said,” Well, nothing really, it’s just beautiful. You have to go see it.” I’m often suspicious of films described in this way. More often than not they end up being exercises in conspicuous directorial egotism. Still, I’m not about to upset Francis, my hairdresser, who is one of the best in New York City. So when Francis makes this small request, I feel obliged to give it a go. Not only did I enjoy the cooling of the theater’s air conditioning on this very hot July day, the movie turned out to be rather charming, and best of all, it actually is about something.

The time is the 1920′s, the place is Hollywood, but the setting is a small hospital in a children’s ward where we meet a cherub like 5-year-old Romanian immigrant, Alexandria (Catinca Untaru), who is recovering in the hospital with a broken arm after a bad fall while climbing a ladder in the orange grove where her family works. Bored, she wanders the grounds, observing people and discovering things like how an image becomes inverted when projected through a small hole (the camera obscura effect). We are introduced to the world of mystery and wonder through a child’s eyes.

Alexandria eventually meets Roy (Lee Pace), an actor/stunt man who is being treated for paralysis after a bad fall during the shooting of a western. Roy makes friends with Alexandria and begins to tell her an epic tale of five heroes on a quest to avenge injustices perpetrated by the evil Governor Odious (Daniel Caltagirone). This is a tale with amazing costumes in gorgeous settings, having the simple and wild imagination of a child. The good guys are good and the bad guys are bad and the natural world is supernatural.

I don’t want to give anything away, but what I will say is that this is a story about two very different people who find each other and help heal each other. Both have suffered terrible losses, physically and emotionally, and it is through their friendship that they can find recovery.

The Fall (2006) is a film which has been a long time coming. Though it was actually finished in 2006, only in 2008 has it received wide release. For two years it traveled the world, doing the film festival circuit. The styling in very reminiscent of director, Tarsem’s earlier film The Cell (2000) as is the dream like visual quality and the use of parallel stories of fantasy and reality. Unlike The Cell (2000), The Fall (2006) is very much a kids movie that grown ups will enjoy if they can get in touch with their inner child.