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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Fall, The
Roadside Attractions


8.1

based on 23 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 46 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

FILM:

The Cell

MPAA RATING: R for some violent images

Starring Lee Pace, Catinca Untaru, Justine Waddell, and Julian Bleach

Los Angeles, circa 1920s: A little immigrant girl finds herself in a hospital recovering from a fall. She strikes up a friendship with a bedridden man, who captivates her with a whimsical story that removes her far from the hospital doldrums into the exotic landscapes of her imagination. Making sure he keeps the girl interested in the story, he interweaves her family and people she likes from the hospital into his tale. (Roadside Attractions)

GENRE(S):	Adventure \| Drama \| Fantasy
WRITTEN BY:	Valeri Petrov (1981 screenplay Yo Ho Ho) Tarsem Singh Nico Soultanakis Dan Gilroy
DIRECTED BY:	Tarsem Singh
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: September 9, 2008 Theatrical: May 9, 2008
RUNNING TIME:	117 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	India \| UK \| USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

A movie that you might want to see for no other reason than because it exists. There will never be another like it.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Tasha Robinson

It's the most glorious, wonderful mess put onscreen since Terry Gilliam's "Brazil."

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

A deliciously vivid adventure fantasy.

Premiere Glenn Kenny

The Fall is a movie whose every frame pulsates with the desire to be a transportive, transcendent work of cinema. And each one of said frames is full of visual bedazzlement and wonder. So full that one is loathe to sum up with the phrase "Close, but no cigar." But there is something, finally, kind of pushy about the film's desire to be a masterpiece.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

Dazzling and delirious, The Fall is a celebration of cinema, of old-fashioned storytelling and globe-hopping spectacle.

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

The Fall is often an affectionate caricature itself, but one of astonishing beauty, featuring two heartfelt performances from Untaru and the tender, often mordantly funny Pace. They're perfect foils for Tarsem's gorgeous tone poem to cinema as a medium of magic and miracles, stories and lies.

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

The Fall lives and dies on the strength of Pace and Untaru's remarkable performances. It's there that the pulsing heart of this magical-real film beats most true.

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub

It's an achingly beautiful movie and a triumph of location scouting, with more cosmopolitan spectacle than the past three Indiana Jones and James Bond movies combined.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

Although the film revolves around a child, it's not a children's movie: A cruel and bitter undertone runs through the fanciful adventures, and Walker's depression is no mere plot contrivance to be cured by Alexandria's childish enthusiasm.

USA Today Claudia Puig

The Fall is aptly named not only because it pertains to a tragic descent but because viewers will feel as if they have plunged headlong into an alternate universe with this dazzling adult fairy tale.

Chicago Reader Bill Stamets

Director Tarsem (The Cell) reworks the 1981 Bulgarian film "Yo Ho Ho" for this stylish fantasy.

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

Some of the set pieces are ravishing, more often they're ravishingly clunky.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

The Fall is what you'd get if you told a fiendishly gifted graphic illustrator the plot of "The Princess Bride" and sent him off to come up with his own version.

Village Voice Nick Pinkerton

If the human details are often problematic, the IMAX-grade bombast, ceremonial camera, and Jodorowsky-esque eclecticism still combine for a singular spectacle.

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

There's no doubt that Tarsem's a visionary director. Now he needs to envision a worthwhile script for himself.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

Pretty pictures - thats what The Fall has to offer.

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

It has a rich premise and no lack of amazements. What it lacks in any sort of dramatic shape.

Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez

It's the kind of movie for which the phrase ''you've never seen anything like it before'' was invented. The question is whether anyone would want to.

The Hollywood Reporter John DeFore

Tarsem and his screenwriting collaborators aren't able to come up with enough interesting justifications for their sudden shifts, and soon the shape-shifting yarn just feels like lazy storytelling.

Variety Dennis Harvey

This convoluted, arbitrary, overlong whimsy will strike most grown-ups as childish, and is far too violent and pretentious for kids.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

It's basically a Middle Eastern version of "The Princess Bride" with an assisted-suicide subplot.

Los Angeles Times Mark Olsen

There is never a sense that The Fall exists for any reason besides simply being something nice to look at. Yet no matter how good-looking a film may be, if it's as sleep-inducing as this, there's simply no point.

The New York Times Nathan Lee

A genuine labor of love -- and a real bore.

The average user rating for this movie is 8.1 (out of 10) based on 46 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Ben E. gave it a10:
The moive was wonderful to watch. It has so many plots lines and graphics it's an amazing watch.

Caspar C. gave it a10:
The interplay of images and story unfolds to create a visually stunning and original epic film hidden within a drama. The tale is beautifully supported by the remarkable and natural performances of Pace and Untaru. And, the fact that it was filmed with a small budget and (at times) a small crew, makes it an even greater achievement.

Big Dave gave it a9:
This is one of the most visually stunning films I have ever seen, and whilst being marginally let down by a slow start and some slightly clunky acting by the generally charming little girl, it ends so well you can forgive it. It has more story line and substance than Hero, but is easily its equal in cinematography, see it at the cinema while you still can.

CA E. gave it a9:
Visually stunning and moving. Catinca Untaru was nothing short of amazing. I don't know what was harder to do, fall in love with Untaru's sweet and adorable character or be enchanted by the fantasy story. This movie is so well written & directed, I'm amazed I haven't heard more about it. Critics giving this film low scores do not appreciate charismatic cinematography, especially when its not filled with gallons of blood, nudity and vulgar language. In modern day cinema, it was refreshing to see a film so original. This is a must-see for all movie-goers. A+

Steve G. gave it an8:
A story about telling a story; but while the listener expands we can thank Tarsem for having the vision to give us some breathtaking visions and sequences. Even the opening, the black and white silent cowboy film being made on a bridge, gives us a tremendous series of almost statuesque tableaux. If you have a love of the visual, and understand the need to enjoy stories (however slight the plot is, and it isn't very deep at all) then this is a wonderful film. Having said that, the lack of a solid story just takes the edge of it, though the performance of the little girl who listens to the story unfolding is tremendous.

Jason T. gave it a9:
Wow - visually, this in one of the most stunning movies ever made! The only reason I did not give it a 10 is that it was more like watching a world class art installation than a dramatic film. The story is simple in its construction (although there are some not so obvious underlying meanings). In general, I think the negative reviews are related to the small mindedness of the general American movie going crowd. The most amazing part of this movie is that no computers were used to enhance any scene. In an age where we take the amazing for granted because everything is altered - this movie is truly amazing! See it!

ELB gave it a10:
I love this movie. It is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful films I have seen in a long, long time.

Fall, The Roadside Attractions

Fall, The
Roadside Attractions