The Fall

10 out of 13 nots.
for brilliant colors and sadness

The story is simple, and sad. A man in the hospital with a spinal injury begins to tell a fantastic story to a young girl, who is at the same hospital with a broken arm, in an effort to coerce her to bring him pills so that he can commit suicide. While indeed sad, the scenes that play out in the imagination of the girl are stunning and beautiful as she hears the story of six men: The Indian, the Slave, the Explosives Expert, the Mystic, Charles Darwin (and his monkey), and the Masked Bandit.

The tale he tells is rife with elements of his own life, and the imagery is crafted from hers to create a moving, vibrant and sometimes funny unraveling of events. However, sometimes the pace of the film is slow, so many viewers may find themselves shifting in their seats. Yet, Tarsem and his crew frame every shot so gloriously that even the fidgety may well find themselves enraptured.

This is definitely not a film for everyone, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.

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