The Fall

I've recently found out that I love movies that contrast childlike whimsy and imagination with the hard truths of reality. With that being said, this is a fucking masterpiece. Whenever films illicit such a strong emotional reaction out of me, I can pretty easily tell why, but in The Fall there's like 15 different reasons why. There were several times during the film I said "Holy fuck" in reaction to some of the shots and the way they were used. That preacher to desert transition will probably sit in my mind for the next week if not the next month. The way colors and high contrast are used here is a masterclass in visual storytelling. The colors of the costumes alone already justify the price of admission, and pair that with the scenery and the cinematography—you have a truly awe inspiring movie. That's the just the surface level. Movies that have to do with art or, better yet, filmmaking itself always appeal to me, this is no different. The Fall tells the story of a Hollywood stuntman through the eyes of a little girl he befriended. Initially, I didn't really understand the complexities of what the stuntman was going through, narrative wise, but it really didn't matter as the girl had no concept either. That works to place us in the perspective of that girl, and because of this, you feel all of the emotions and feeling she does as the stuntman is telling his story. Both performances from the stuntman and the girl are the glue that holds the relationship together on screen, Lee Pace is a master. That's not to mention the physicality of the characters in the tale, it feels like a Coen brothers movie at times with how perfect they fit right into their specific roles. All of that is linked together with the themes of creation and storytelling. This reminds me a lot of something like Babylon or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with their unadulterated love for movies and filmmaking. Even though the film industry isn't portrayed in the best light narratively speaking (a really negative light actually), it doesn't factor into the equation of telling a story that resonates with someone, which is ultimately what movies are about.