Tarsem Singh may be best known for the stunning visuals of the Cell.
His amazing use of color, costume, and dramatic staging take you into a fantastical world through the eyes of an imaginative little girl.
The story is split into the real world and a fantastical one. Much like The Never Ending Story and Pan's Labyrinth
, there are memorable characters and creatures.
Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies) plays an injured stuntman who befriends Alexandria, an 8 year-old girl, as they both recuperate at a hospital in the 1920's.
He teases her for her mischievous acts against the priest and charms her with a story about Alexander the Great. Much like Scheherazade, he offers to tell her a story the next day. The movie weaves in and out of Alexandria's imagination.
Of course, the price for his story may be cost Alexandria more than either of them know.
If Pan's Labyrinth was dark escape for a little girl in the middle of a horrific war, then The Fall
is a child's more innocent dreamscape. The movie's heart is Catinca Untaru's Alexandria. As the story grows darker and darker, she genuinely exists in the moment. Her reactions are so honest, I'm not really sure she came away from the filming without some psychological scars.
If you have a bluray player, I suggest you pick this one up, if only to experience the beauty of the cinematography.