As Josh wrote the other day, the trailer for this movie was so visually stunning that it was one of the few movies to make it to my “Must See” list without a second thought. The Fall takes place in a 1920’s hospital. A stuntman/actor, Roy Walker, who was injured on a flicker (movie) set, befriends a young girl (Alexandria) with a broken arm and starts to tell her a story of 5 heroes. The story, seen both from Walker’s perspective and Alexandria’s, is a drug-induced ‘epic tale’ (Walker’s words) of revenge, love, loss, and adventure.

I loved this movie. Lee Pace (from Pushing Daisies) plays Walker with just the right mix of desperation, depression, and deception. The young actress who plays Alexandria (Catinca Untaru), was the perfect 5 year old… fibbing when she thinks the truth will get her in trouble, understanding both more and less than anyone else expects, and ultimately being willing to do anything for the approval and love of her new friend. She is, by far, the best actor in the film.

The sets are insanely colorful and fantastic. There are acres of mazes, an entire city of blue, an island in the shape of a butterfly, a swimming elephant, and vast orange deserts. 18 different countries served as shooting locations over the course of nearly a decade. The movie does deal with some dark themes including suicide and drug use, and there is a fair amount of violence, but in general, I did not feel the violence was overdone.

Towards the end of the film, I was so enthralled in the story that I knew exactly how I wanted it to end. Walker sucked me into the story almost as well as he sucked Alexandria in and inserted her into the story. I can’t say the story followed the exact course that seemed so clear in my head, yet it was satisfying in the end.

If you are looking for beautiful cinematography, this movie is a must see. If you are looking for a coherent one-dimensional story, this movie is not for you. I give the movie 4.5 out of 5 stars. Easily one of the top 5 movies I’ve seen since the end of SIFF 2007.