Rated: R

Much like the quirky films by Wes Anderson (Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited) and Francis Ford Coppola (Youth Without Youth), The Fall challenges your mind, your senses and your feelings, all set up by multiple character conflicts and resolve. It’s a prime opportunity for a college class outing with your film professor.

The storyline goes something like this: Following a horrific accident during the filming of a movie, critically injured horseback stuntman Roy Walker (Pace) is taken to a nearby Los Angeles Hospital. Alexandria (Untaru), a youngster with a broken arm in a ward above, decides to visit Walker.

Amused by the young girl's persistence to keep him company, he tells her a fictional story about five men who have been wronged by tyrannical Governor Odious (Caltagirone), and their quest for revenge. As the tale progresses Alexandria starts to fantasize that she is part of it. When Walker uses the girl to get him opium tablets, things start taking a turn for the worse in the story and the hospital.

Although I liked this film for it’s fine acting, creative directing, brilliant cinematography and out-of-the-ordinary story, most general audiences will walk out unfulfilled. To help you a bit, the five central characters out for revenge are the Indian (Verma), an ex-slave (Wesley), an explosive expert (Smith), Charles Darwin (Bill) and the masked bandit (Pace), all of which have dual roles in the film of real persons, that have a connection with Walker. This is how Director Singh creates his fiction intertwined with reality.

The star of this film is the magnificent charmer Untaru who plays Alexandria with aplomb. Her delightful smile and inquisitive personality are worth the price of admission. She holds the film together with an amazing performance even though it’s the youngster’s film debut.

Starring: Catinca Untaru, Marcus Wesley, Lee Pace, Daniel Caltagirone. Justine Waddell, Robin Smith, Jeetu Verma, Leo Bill, Julian Bleach, and Kim Uylenbroek 

FINAL ANALYSIS: The Fall is a very good fantasy drama for film buffs and students.

This Reviewer's Rating: 3.5 / 5

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."