The Fall

The Fall is a joint British-Hungarian film about a former New York prosecutor who is living in Budapest with his girlfriend, who has a high power job, and is working on his first novel. He and the girlfriend are not getting along well. His life becomes suddenly more interesting when a young woman barges into his apartment and collapses on the floor. When he discovers a bloody straight razor in her garter, he is more than a little concerned. We know that she did kill one person chasing her, and that another is still after her. She claims she and her daughter were kidnapped, and they still have her daughter.

She gradually earns the trust of the would-be author, and they have sex. Her supposed kidnapper is none other than an important official in Budapest. The story told by the official, and those around him, is very different than hers. During the final confrontation, the author has to decide whom to trust. Soo Garay (Blues Brothers 2000) shows breasts as a neighbor posing for her lesbian photographer girlfriend. Hélène de Fougerolles (The Beach), as the troubled woman, shows breasts in a lovemaking scene.

NUDITY REPORT

see the main commentary

DVD info from Amazon.

no widescreen
cast interviews

IMDB readers give this 5.2 of 10, which may be the correct score, as the performances were uneven, some of the minor characters were not fleshed out, and some of the photography could have been much better. I personally found it an interesting thriller, especially as the conflict was so evenly presented that I could have believed the ending either way it went.

The Critics Vote

Apollo 54/100

The People Vote ...

With their votes ... IMDB summary: IMDB readers say 5.2/10, Apollo users, 58/100.

IMDb guideline: 7.5 usually indicates a level of excellence, about like three and a half stars from the critics. 6.0 usually indicates lukewarm watchability, about like two and a half stars from the critics. The fives are generally not worthwhile unless they are really your kind of material, about like two stars from the critics. Films under five are generally awful even if you like that kind of film, equivalent to about one and a half stars from the critics or less, depending on just how far below five the rating is.

My own guideline: A means the movie is so good it will appeal to you even if you hate the genre. B means the movie is not good enough to win you over if you hate the genre, but is good enough to do so if you have an open mind about this type of film. C means it will only appeal to genre addicts, and has no crossover appeal. D means you'll hate it even if you like the genre. E means that you'll hate it even if you love the genre. F means that the film is not only unappealing across-the-board, but technically inept as well.

Based on this description, this film is a C.