Hola all. Massawyrm here.

Alright guys, it’s official. It’s time to let Tarsem out of the box.

It seems weird that the first (and more importantly, last) film we saw from the singularly named music video turned feature director was 8 years ago. The Cell, a visually arresting but ultimately hollow piece of filmmaking, seemed to simultaneously announce both his arrival and his departure from the industry. He became an overnight joke, his name representing the very worst of style versus substance arguments. Forget Michael Bay. At least he seemed to know who and what he was. And he also had his defenders. But not Tarsem. The combination of representing himself with one name, while delivering something that could only be described as sheer artistry-for-artistry’s-sake seemed incredibly pretentious when his film just couldn’t back up its visuals. I’ve never seen a backlash so immediate and vicious as the one he received, which is why his name is so indelibly burned into many of our brains.

Well, he’s back, this time with an independently produced genius level masterpiece of a film that will prove to be his complete and utter reversal of fortune. If there was ever such a thing as a ½ lb. Shut the Fuck Up Burger with a side of Blow Me Fanboy Fries, The Fall would be it. The Fall is everything Tarsem seemed to set out to do with The Cell, only 100% successful. Masterpiece. This thing is a fucking masterpiece. It is such a singularly unique vision, such a highly original concept, that it is nearly impossible to describe.

Imagine, if you will, being in some sort of accident that hospitalizes you, trapping you in bed and putting you on a steady morphine drip. One of your buddies decides that he needs to come be with you for a while – nothing gay like holding your hand and telling you it’s all gonna be okay or anything – just hanging. But you’re in no shape to talk, so he clicks on the TV. Unfortunately for him, he finds himself in a dilemma. One station is showing Yimou Zhang’s epic kung fu opus Hero. The other is showing Guillermo del Toro’s magnificent Pan’s Labyrinth. Now he’s seen both a million, zillion ties – just as any good geek should have – but can’t decide which one he wants to watch more. So instead he decides to flip back and forth between them. High as a kite and numb on a cloud from the slow, delicious drip of painkillers, you drift in and out of consciousness, catching a scene here and a scene there of each film. And while asleep, rather than the heavy black of a dreamless void, you are caught in a lucid fever dream in which your mind creates new images for the dialog playing in the background of the room. Brilliant colors set on desert landscapes while a little girl floats in and out of a fantasy world.

Not only is that pretty much the plot of The Fall, it is also pretty much what it is like watching it. It is beautifully surreal, a view from the minds eye of a 5-year-old immigrant child (played by Catinca Untaru) trying to comprehend the nearly incoherent story told by a fellow hospital patient (Lee Pace.) And unlike The Cell, this movie has soul and pathos by the fistful. This isn’t another hollow artistic endeavor. It is the real deal, carrying just as much weight and beauty as both Pan’s Labyrinth and Hero. Throw in a splash of classic Gilliam and you begin to get the idea of just what this thing really is while still needing to see it for yourself to fully understand.

I have never quite seen a film that so totally made me pull a 180 on a director like this. It was as if he was driven by what the critical press had to say about his film and went off on a six-year journey to prove us all wrong. Well, he did. I want desperately to see more work out of him. This is a talent that we have yet to see fully tapped. Watching this, one wonders how much of The Cell was Tarsem’s fault and how much was studio meddling. I’m not saying it wasn’t his fault – but he’s certainly made amends if it was.

This is a movie that must be sought out and seen on the big screen by anyone who loves any of the names I’ve invoked in this piece. It really is a sweet, soulful look at the world through the eyes of a child. And it is about the most wonderful thing you’re going to see anytime soon. For anyone who hates the lack of real substance in the theatres during the summer, I tell you now – go see The Fall.

Until next time friends, smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em.

Massawyrm

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