Monday, May 26, 2008

SIFF 2008 Favorite: Tarsem's The Fall

THE FALL
(Tarsem, 2006, USA/India/South Africa, 117 minutes)

On Sunday I was one of the lucky few who got to see The Fall (well, okay, I guess the Uptown holds more than a few - I just meant, in terms of the probably 100+ people who were in the "Rush" line for tickets). Thank you, online ticket-buying system. You saved me!

In any case, I was a little nervous, I'd seen the preview and was really looking forward to it - but that happened with The Cell, which. Well. Left me more than disappointed. I think the secret here is that the director (Tarsem) just needed a better script - which The Fall definitely has.

If you're up for a lushly detailed fairy tale coupled with the heart-breaking friendship between an injured actor and one of the most adorable little girls on screen, than this is what you're looking for. I am not exaggerating when I say that I LOVED everything about this film, from the screenplay to the direction to the acting (of course, my love for Lee Pace runs deep. Viva la Pushing Daisies!).

Unfortunately, The Fall only screened at SIFF once on Sunday, 5/25, and I can't track down another release date for it (other than that one), but I'd be very surprised if it doesn't get released very, very soon. This was a clear crowd favorite, and I can't imagine it being any other way.

EDIT: Thanks to Annie @ the Stranger, I now know that The Fall opens in Seattle THIS Friday, May 30th at the Metro. And...corrected again: It screened twice already. Geez. Note to self: DO MORE RESEARCH BEFORE POSTING.

Image from Little White Lies.

7 comments:

  1. It opens Friday at the Metro.

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  2. Thanks! (says the girl who apparently didn't even think to check local listings yet...SIFF has apparently scrambled my brain).

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  3. I'll be seeing it at the Sundance Kabuki, a theater located near a dozen Japanese restaurants. So movie, then ramen!

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  4. The Fall screened twice, like most SIFF movies. The other screening was the second day of the festival Friday, 5/23.

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  5. Oh, great. Clearly, I am not paying attention here!!
    *hanging my head in shame right now*

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  6. I know it's less than a week into the festival and there are literally hundreds of movies still to be shown, but I'm just going to say it now: The Fall will be the best film of the festival!

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  7. I hear ya, Casey.
    Out of the 12 films I've seen thus far, The Fall and Sita Sings the Blues are running in first place. It will take something pretty extraordinary to knock them both down a notch.

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