I don't understand people who don't have a rational fear of heights. I have no idea how roofers, scaffolders, and anyone else can keep their sanity in any kind of employment that involves climbing above a height of, hmmmmm, let's say about ten feet. So I really wanted to see Fall, but I also really didn't want to see it. I get light-headed just from watching some of those rooftop parkour videos that you can easily find online. And someone at the top of a crane lowering themselves from the main platform to do pull-ups? Yeah, the sweat starts running down the back of my neck as I just become a massive blob of quivering clamminess. But that immediate reaction is why I wanted to see Fall, and I decided to be brave about it. All I could hope for was being able to avoid fainting in the cinema.
Becky (Grace Caroline Currey, billed here as Grace Fulton) and Hunter (Virginia Gardner) are two friends who used to spend a lot of time together, with some of that time spent climbing to heights I wouldn't even want to reach in an elevator. Things haven't been the same, however, since a tragedy we see in the opening scenes that you can predict happening quicker than you can say Cliffhanger. Which is fine. It's all we need, especially when we get to the main premise. Becky and Hunter are going to climb to the top of a 2000-foot radio tower. Hunter will get some great photos and footage for her online fanbase. Becky will regain her strength and enthusiasm for a life with some danger in it. Unfortunately, a damaged ladder leads to the pair being completely stuck at the top of the tower. The film then uses numerous tricks to maintain a vertiginous sensation while viewers wonder if/how the characters will save themselves.
Directed by Scott Mann (who I recall gave us the fun of The Tournament a number of years ago), Fall is a great example of how to take a decent premise and present it in a way that doesn’t disappoint. The height is enough of a danger, of course, but you also get some tension between the main characters, a number of close calls, and some portentous vultures. The script, co-written by Mann and Jonathan Frank, isn’t perfect, (one main plot development feels as redundant as it is predictable, but another plot development works surprisingly well) but the predicament of the characters allows the film-makers to intersperse any scene with a shot reminding viewers of just how high up they are. And it is easy to forget about script mis-steps when considering the potential cost of any literal mis-step.
I really enjoyed The Ledge, although I understand that a lot of other people were unimpressed by the quality of the acting in that film (and the varying quality of the special effects), but this is a superior trip through similar territory. If you enjoyed The Ledge then you should enjoy this. If you didn’t enjoy The Ledge, however, I would still suggest giving this a go.
Although it is all about the dizzying height and constant peril, Fulton and Gardner are very good in their roles, with the latter possessing enough presence for both women (because, to be fair, another flaw in the script is keeping Fulton a bit too stunned into inaction until she is allowed to find her drive). Both convincingly sell the premise, and both feel as if they could be friends, which is all that can be asked of them. Although I don’t know how the effects and greenscreen and any other trickery were stitched together to make everything look so realistic, both also look very capable of climbing with ropes and holding on to flimsy metal outcrops as if their lives depended on it. There are some other cast members, including Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the father of Fulton’s character, but the film is, for the most part, essentially a taut and lean two-hander.
I would warn people who feel they might have an even stronger reaction than I did - the film deserves to be seen on the big screen, yet a cinema environment means you cannot easily give yourself a breather during the more intense scenes - but that is outweighed by a hearty recommendation. No, I don’t know why I used the word “hearty” there either. Maybe I was trying to avoid ending on some pun about giving it the highest praise.
7/10
If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews
No comments:
Post a Comment