The Fall
2006
**
Director: Tarsem Singh
Cast: Lee Pace, Catinca Untaru, Justine Waddell, Kim Uylenbroek, Aiden Lithgow, Sean Gilder, Ronald France, Andrew Roussouw, Michael Huff, Grant Swanby
In the 1920s, a paralysed stuntman befriends an injured young girl in hospital and tells her an elaborate fantasy story featuring five heroic characters. As the story unfolds, reality and imagination blur, exposing his desperation. Like Tarsem Singh's feature debut The Cell, his second film is memorable largely for its lavish visuals. It was shot across 24 different countries and showcases grand vistas in vibrant colours. However, I was never drawn into the story, which examines trauma and the power of imagination. It does not help that Catinca Untaru, who plays the little girl, cannot act; at times, her dialogue is almost unintelligible. Based on the 1981 Bulgarian film Yo ho ho.
