The Fall Movie Review (2006)

A breathtakingly beautiful film, The Fall is an epic story within a story that will make you laugh, love, and break your heart in all the best of ways.

There are some movies that you will never forget. They touch you so deeply that watching them actually incorporates into your life experience. We all have pieces of music, plays, or films that resonate with us like that and this movie, truly, will never leave me.

The Fall is set during the time of silent films. Alexandria, a young girl who is staying in the hospital while her broken arm heals, and Roy, a man who is confined to his hospital bed due to an accident on a movie set, meet when she sneaks into his room and they laugh over the fact that they have both fallen to receive their injuries. They bond, and she continues to return to his room where he begins telling an epic story to keep them both entertained while they are stuck recovering.

This is one of the best films that I have ever seen. When I finished, I was physically uncomfortable for about an hour because I had such a visceral connection to it. I fell in love with the characters as they fell in love with each other. It pained me greatly to watch a child (a very sweet and mischievous child) have to manage so many tumultuous things in her life. I marveled at the story, and so much changes that you can’t quite keep a hold of anything. It was honestly an amazing experience.

This has to be one of the top 10 films as far as cinematography and use of color. It definitely is in my world. There are beautiful wide shots of acres of desert with the people in the image moving like large ants or tiny toys. It is like looking at a painting with small moving parts.

There are gorgeous colors, with costumes made from different textures and patterns, each fitting the epic narrative and somehow making sense. But because this is a fairytale, a story that Roy is creating in the moment, anything can happen, and it does.

There are some very funny moments, many of which have to do with Alexandria. She is very creative and she questions everything, but she is still just a child, so the dynamic between her and Roy is fascinating. He knows that she is a child, but he also knows that she is smart and cares deeply about both him and the story.

It is difficult for me to find the words to express how passionately I feel about this film because breaking it down can’t possibly do it justice and I don’t want to rob you of the experience by saying more. This fairytale is truly one for the ages. I do not know how it hasn’t been talked about broadly for years. The Fall is funny, unexpected, and more complicated than one might anticipate, changing as the movie goes on.

Because I just can’t say more, I will close with a moment that held my heart. Roy and Alexandria are having a fierce disagreement in which they are both raw and in pain. Roy woundedly says, “It’s my story!” and Alexandria, right then, a suffering child, says, “Mine too.”

Runtime: 117 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: R

Languages Spoken In The Film: English, German, and Romanian (most of which is not subtitled and you are not supposed to understand word for word)

Should You Watch It? Yes, it is exceptional

Did I Cry? Yes, I did

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

Available: To rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms