In the 1920s, in a hospital, young Alexandria (Catinca Untaru) is receiving care for a broken arm. As you can imagine, spending time in the recovery ward is not very entertaining, but while at the hospital, Alexandria meets another patient named Roy (Lee Pace), who is bedridden and paralysed due to a tragic injury. Roy shows kindness to Alexandria, leading to the formation of an unlikely friendship between them. To help pass the time and keep their spirits up during recovery, Roy begins to tell Alexandria an incredible story, one unlike anything she or the world has ever heard.
Roy’s story revolves around five heroes: an Indian warrior (Jeetu Verma), an ex-slave named Otta (Marcus Wesley) who kills with a bow, an explosives expert named Luigi (Robin Smith), Darwin (Leo Bill) who travels with a pet monkey, and lastly, a mysterious masked bandit (Lee Pace). These characters share a significant bond—they all seek revenge against Governor Odious, who has wronged each of them in different ways. As Roy continues the tale day by day, Alexandria’s excitement and imagination run wild. She begins to wonder if the people around her in the hospital could somehow be part of Roy’s story.
However, as Alexandria delves deeper into the adventures of these five heroes, it becomes clear that Roy harbours a deep, dark secret. He has a desire to end his life, but needs Alexandria’s help to do so. He asks her to sneak into various secure locations to steal pills, claiming that it will help him tell the story better. The question remains: Will Roy continue the story to bring hope and joy to Alexandria, or will he manipulate her into obtaining the pills he needs to say goodbye to this world forever?
The Fall is an adventure and fantasy film, especially when Roy tells his tale. Unexpectedly, this film also delves into heavy drama, particularly regarding Roy’s tragedy and his desire to end his pain and suffering. Additionally, the touching friendship that develops between Roy and Alexandra is both compelling and heartfelt. The film is directed by Tarsem Singh, who has previously worked on projects such as Mirror Mirror (2012), The Cell (2000), and Immortals (2011). Singh possesses a creative passion for introducing new concepts to the big screen, and in my opinion, The Fall is easily his most remarkable creation to date. The score is also well-suited and cleverly utilises Symphony No.7 by Beethoven.
While the film successfully captures adventure and drama, I did find its runtime a bit too long, especially during the climax. Some subplots, like Alexandra’s attempts to steal medicine, feel repetitive, particularly when she fails to acquire enough pills to incapacitate Roy permanently. These moments contribute to the movie dragging on. I thought that the film was slow to start, but once Alexandra meets Roy and the mix of adventure and fantasy unfolds, I became instantly hooked and eager to see how both the real and fictional stories would conclude.
Overall, The Fall is a fantastic film and an incredible cinematic experience. It’s a must-watch for lovers of fantasy, adventure, and drama, as it beautifully embraces the power of imagination. The film weaves together two stories—one imaginary and one real—and I found both equally engaging, particularly due to their unexpected outcomes. The visual and costume designs are flawless, and I appreciated how each character possesses a unique style and personality. However, I did notice some flaws. The film’s runtime felt lengthy, especially during the climax, which had moments that dragged on. Additionally, some subplots seemed repetitive and a bit predictable. Nevertheless, The Fall is worth your time, and I encourage you to seek it out and not miss it.
The Fall (2006) is Now Available on 4K UHD thanks to Umbrella!
Published: 14th June 2025
Written by: Peter Walkden
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