4/5

Review by John P. Harvey.

Set in the 1920s, The Fall throws together two characters, each in the same Los Angeles hospital due to a fall: stuntman Roy Walker (Lee Pace), whose fall during filming has cost him both the use of his legs and his girlfriend’s affections; and Alexandria (Catinca Untaru), a perceptive young girl who befriends him as her broken shoulder and arm heal after a fall while picking oranges.

Roy is suicidal, and Alexandria is, if he only knew it, his lifeline. In turn for a favour, he offers her an epic story, spread over some days, of five quirky characters with strong personal motivations to kill the despicable Governor Odious. Roy’s tale is indeed epic; and, full of grand landscapes, actions, tyranny, and truths and a cast of hundreds, it conveys a spirit of limitless adventure. But, with Roy’s frame of mind increasingly making the tale darker, it is Alexandria’s imagination, will, and morality that refuse disappointment in the story’s outcomes and ultimately affects Roy’s fate.

Shot entirely on location in countless countries and originally released in 2006 on 35mm film, The Fall has now come out in 4K, retaining a classic look with crystal clarity. Bringing to life original storytelling featuring uncompromisingly eccentric characters, this somewhat comical drama, warmly affirming the values of both unselfconsciousness and courageous originality, deserves a wide audience and is sure to leave you with plenty to think about.