Strange Pair

The Fall (2006)

Like Alexandria, played by Catinca Untaru, I stumbled upon The Fall by curiosity, and ended up being captivated by and emotionally-invested on it, so easily and so deeply. Just as Alexandria became awed with Roy Walker's storytelling, played by Lee Pace, I became drawn by this 2006 epic adventure concocted by Tarsem Singh. 

Set in the 1920s in a hospital somewhere in Los Angeles, Alexandria, a highly-spirited five year-old, meets Roy Walker, a stunt man injured from his first foray in the movies. Wanting nothing more than hearing an interesting tale to feed her imagination during her stay while her arm mends, Alexandria befriends Roy. Listening to Roy, Alexandria dreams up a fantasy of revenge, courage, sacrifice, and ultimately, love. The characters they create travel through the world, braving dangers, and motivated by a common goal: to defeat the villain, Governor Odious. With dazzling landscapes as backdrop and elaborate costumes, the world of the Masked Bandit and his companions is indeed like every child's dream.

© 2006 Googly Films / TARSEM/ The Fall Film Partners

And like every child's dream, the film is ambitious, biased, disjointed, sentimental, and charming. Although it was Roy who is telling the story, it is Alexandria's utter fascination that propels the story forward, and it is evident in the way the plot unfolded and showed. With its expansive scenery shot in around 20 countries, its stunning cinematography and musical score, the film is a visual spectacle. 

But for all of The Fall's grandiosity, the most tender and beautiful moments took place in the confines of the hospital, between Alexandria and Roy. The biggest draw for me was the relationship of the two leads. Pace and Untaru connected and it simply showed. Six year-old Untaru's endearing innocence paired with Pace's stellar portrayal of Roy Walker's shattering resolve in life makes for the most personal and heartwarming scenes I've watched in ages, especially after learning that practically all of Catinca's hospital lines were as real and unscripted as can be.

Virtually every frame in The Fall is mesmerizing, and Tarsem is indeed an auteur for not allowing any aspect to be compromised for a film as big this. The film's one defining trait is its telling of two intertwined stories, one so incredibly fantastic that pushed the possibilities of film-making, the other so deeply human and personal, and would never have worked had Pace and Untaru failed to establish that special authentic connection. 

Tarsem managed to capture these and translate them into the screen. Indeed, The Fall is an apt tribute to the flickers that Roy made and Alexandria loved.