This is the first in a new series of movie reviews where I recommend some of my favorite films and TV shows that are available to watch instantly on Netflix.
"It was the natural order of things."
I should probably start with my favorite film, Tarsem's The Fall. I briefly mentioned this film before in my post "Life is Bigger Than You and You are Not Me." You probably have a movie like this, it is one of your favorites, but it seems like no one else has ever heard of it. You recommend it to people, but you are not able to explain it very well and they usually don't take your advice. When they do watch it, however, they LOVE it! Every time I lend it to someone who wants to watch it, they end up lending it to someone they know AND buying their own copy.
The Fall stars Lee Pace (from "Pushing Daisies") as Roy, an injured stuntman in the early days of Hollywood. Although he cannot walk, it's really his heart that is broken. He meets a girl in the hospital named Alexandria and begins to tell her a story. From that point on, the film switches between the scenes in the hospital and those where Alexandria pictures the story told by Roy.
One thing that makes this film so amazing is the visuals and the locations (OK, that was TWO things). Director Tarsem Sighn (perhaps best known for directing REM's music video "Losing My Religion") spent years taking jobs directing commericals around the world in order to finance this film, scout locations, and make connections. Just look at some of these stills:
This is by far one of the best little hidden gems available instantly on Netflix. Watch it at night, in the dark, cuddled up under a blanket with some popcorn - it will not disappoint.
If you enjoyed this film (or not) feel free to leave comments!
Here is the official website for the film and here is the IMDB and the Wikipedia page, for more information.
