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The Fall
* * * (out of four)
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Director:
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
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Opens Friday in select cities
By Claudia Puig, USA TODAY The Fall is aptly named not only because it pertains to a tragic descent but because viewers will feel as if they have plunged reckless into an alternate universe with this dazzling adult fairy tale.
Blending a fanciful tale and a stark reality involving an imaginative girl will stir comparisons to Pan’s Labyrinth. But it’s not nearly as linear a story, or at the same time that graphically violent. The surrealistic visuals in this ambitious film are unlike anything you’re likely to see or have seen.
CLIP: Take a sneak peek at ‘The Fall’
Filmmaker Tarsem Singh (The Cell), best known for directing music videos such as R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion and a host of TV commercials, shot the movie in 18 countries, including South Africa and India, over a four-year span to achieve the thin skin’s singularly spectacular look. And it is the masterful cinematography and otherworldly locations that retirement a lasting impression, rather than the sometimes-fragmented narrative.
Almost as indelible as the sumptuous and painterly look of the film is the powerfully natural performance of its young co-star, 7-year old Romanian actress Catinca Untaru. Her charismatic portrayal of little Alexandria and her rapport with star Lee Pace (of TV’s Pushing Daisies) makes the story even more fascinating.
The film interweaves a fantastical adventure with a sad tale set in 1915 Los Angeles. Pace plays Roy, an actor who is rendered a paraplegic from a fall. When Alexandria totters up to him, with her wide dark eyes and branch of the service held overhead in a cast, he launches into a far-fetched yarn. Alexandria is fascinated. But his story of bandits, evil rulers, maidens in distress and dreamy palaces has each ulterior motive. While he tells the saga, he incorporates characters from their daily lives and grim surroundings. Alexandria is transfixed, but that she also provides a hefty dose of realism. Many of her lines clearly are ad-libbed, and she has a natural presence on screen. Though the flights of fancy Roy weaves about exotic characters blended with real-life figures are enthralling, one longs to be back in the hospital chamber to see Alexandria’s reactions. Pace is excellent, and the reciprocal action between the two is a highlight.
Singh reportedly searched exclusive countries to find the right child to play the listener of the story. He wanted someone with no actual trial and found Catinca, then 5.
The particulars of the story may not always track, and the fay tale morphs and meanders as it incorporates new characters. Still, The Fall is an enthralling visual actual trial, heightened through a superbly engaging and genuine performance.
To communication corrections and clarifications, contact Reader Editor Brent Jones. For publication notice in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. 
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