Tag: tarsem singh

Check Out This New Image Of Lily Collins In Relativity Media’s UNTITLED SNOW WHITE PROJECT


Lily Collins is Snow White as photographed in Montreal, Quebec by Matthew Rolston.

Lily Collins looks absolutely lovely in this first look at Relativity Media’s UNTITLED SNOW WHITE PROJECT.

In the reimagining of the classic fairy tale, an evil queen steals control of a kingdom, and an exiled princess enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright in a spirited adventure comedy filled with jealousy, romance, and betrayal that will capture the imagination of audiences the world over.

Sean Bean plays the King, Oscar®-winner Julia Roberts plays the Queen, Lily Collins (The Blind Side) plays Snow White, Armie Hammer (The Social Network) plays Prince Andrew Alcott, Robert Emms (Anonymous) plays Prince Alcott’s valet, Renbock, and Nathan Lane (The Lion King, The Birdcage) plays the Queen’s hapless and bungling servant, Brighton. The Seven Dwarfs are being played by Mark Povinelli (Water for Elephants), Jordan Prentice (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle), Danny Woodburn (Watchmen), Sebastian Saraceno (Bedtime Stories), Ronald Lee Clark (Epic Movie), Martin Klebba (Pirates of the Caribbean series) and Joey Gnoffo (The Benchwarmers). The studio has also cast Mare Winningham (Brothers) as Baker Margaret and Michael Lerner (Elf) as Baron.

The film’s producers are Ryan Kavanaugh (The Fighter), Bernie Goldmann (300) and Brett Ratner (Rush Hour franchise). The script was written by Melisa Wallack (Meet Bill) and Jason Keller (Machine Gun Preacher).

The film started shooting June 20, 2011 on location in Montreal and wraps mid-September. Directed by Tarsem Singh (Immortals, The Cell), the theatrical release date is set for March 16, 2012.

Photo Credit: Matthew Rolston.
© 2011 Relativity Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Sean Bean Reigns as Snow White King In Relativity Media’s SNOW WHITE

Actor Joins Relativity’s Cast alongside Roberts, Collins,
Hammer, and Lane

(Beverly Hills, CA) July 18, 2011 – Relativity Media has closed a deal with Sean Bean (HBO’s Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings: The Return of The King) to play the role of the King in its upcoming Untitled Snow White feature, directed by Tarsem Singh (Immortals, The Cell).

Bean joins the previously announced cast in which Oscar®-winner Julia Roberts plays the Queen, Lily Collins (The Blind Side) plays Snow White, Armie Hammer (The Social Network) plays Prince Andrew Alcott, Robert Emms (Anonymous) plays Prince Alcott’s valet, Renbock, and Nathan Lane (The Lion King, The Birdcage) plays the Queen’s hapless and bungling servant, Brighton. The Seven Dwarfs are being played by Mark Povinelli (Water for Elephants), Jordan Prentice (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle), Danny Woodburn (Watchmen), Sebastian Saraceno (Bedtime Stories), Ronald Lee Clark (Epic Movie), Martin Klebba (Pirates of the Caribbean series) and Joey Gnoffo (The Benchwarmers). The studio has also cast Mare Winningham (Brothers) as Baker Margaret and Michael Lerner (Elf) as Baron.

The film started shooting June 20, 2011 on location in Montreal and wraps mid-September. The theatrical release date is set for March 16, 2012.

In Relativity’s Snow White, a spectacular reimagining of the classic fairy tale, an evil queen steals control of a kingdom, and an exiled princess enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright in a spirited adventure comedy filled with jealousy, romance, and betrayal that will capture the imagination of audiences the world over.

The film’s producers are Ryan Kavanaugh (The Fighter), Bernie Goldmann (300) and Brett Ratner (Rush Hour franchise). The script was written by Melisa Wallack (Meet Bill) and Jason Keller (Machine Gun Preacher).

Looking ahead, Relativity will release David Ellis’ Shark Night 3D on September 2, 2011, followed by Marc Forster’s Machine Gun Preacher on September 23, 2011, then the highly-anticipated Immortals on November 11, 2011, starring Henry Cavill, Stephen Dorff, Isabel Lucas, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans and Kellan Lutz with John Hurt and Mickey Rourke. Relativity’s expansive 2012 slate also includes its Haywire (in theatres January 20, 2012), Act of Valor (in theatres February 17, 2012), The Raven (in theatres March 9, 2012), Untitled Farrelly/Wessler Project (in theatres April 13, 2012), House at the End of the Street (in theatres April 20, 2012), Safe Haven (in theatres June 1, 2012) and Hunter Killer (in theatres December 21, 2012).

IMMORTALS Trailer No. 2

Watch the legends of the Greek Gods come to life like never before  in the second trailer for director Tarsem Singh’s Greek epic IMMORTALS which debuted this morning at Ryan Seacrest.com

From the producers of 300, Gianni Nunnari, Mark Canton, and Relativity’s CEO Ryan Kavanaugh, Immortals tells the story of the ruthless King Hyperion (Rourke), who leads his bloodthirsty army on a murderous rampage across Greece to find a deadly weapon that will destroy humanity. A mortal chosen by Zeus named Theseus (Cavill) must lead the fight against Hyperion and his evil army with the fate of mankind and the Gods at Stake.

IMMORTALS stars Henry Cavill (Superman: Man of Steel), Luke Evans (Robin Hood), Kellan Lutz (Twilight), Isabel Lucas (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire), Mickey Rourke (Iron Man 2), Stephen Dorff (Public Enemies) and John Hurt (Hellboy).

IMMORTALS will be in theaters in 3D on November 11, 2011.

“Like” the film on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/immortals

Relativity Media’s IMMORTALS Will Receive Unprecedented Trailer Launch Through Its Promotional Partnership With Clear Channel Radio

(Beverly Hills, CA) June 23, 2011 – Relativity Media’s theatrical trailer for its highly-anticipated epic adventure IMMORTALS will debut in theaters on Wednesday, June 29 with the opening of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, but audiences will be given a unique sneak preview through its innovative promotional partnership with Clear Channel Radio via its on-air and online network, as well as on iHeartRadio, its industry-leading digital radio service, which streams music from Clear Channel’s 750 digital radio stations from 150 cities.

On Monday, June 27, Ryan Seacrest will lead this effort by kicking off the Immortals trailer debut on his KIIS-FM radio show “On-Air with Ryan Seacrest” to his audience in the 6:00 am hour and will also feature the trailer through his social media and digital platforms including: Facebook, Twitter and ryanseacrest.com. Seacrest will also tease the sneak preview on-air on Friday before Monday’s debut.

Also on Monday, June 27, Clear Channel’s on-air personalities, on approximately 400 stations in 150 markets, will promote the trailer debut and will direct listeners to a constellation of digital networks including iHeartRadio, individual station websites, Facebook pages, and Twitter accounts. The trailer will receive prominent placement within the dynamic lead on the stations’ homepages, as well as on the stations’ Facebook pages and Twitter feeds.

The digital integration and on-air chatter will promote the trailer launch while also offering listeners the chance to win a trip for two to the World Premiere of Immortals, which features a powerful cast including: Henry Cavill (Superman: Man of Steel), Luke Evans (Robin Hood), Kellan Lutz (Twilight), Isabel Lucas (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire), Mickey Rourke (Iron Man 2), Stephen Dorff (Public Enemies) and John Hurt (Hellboy).

Relativity Media and Clear Channel Radio announced their promotional partnership in April 2011 and allows Relativity to cross-promote their films utilizing Clear Channel’s unmatched multi-media assets in the U.S. by leveraging its vast reach that captures 237 million listeners a month, 18 million social media followers, and a digital footprint that harnesses 30 million uniques.

Relativity’s President, Theatrical Marketing, Terry Curtin said, “We are fortunate to have a unique partnership with Clear Channel that has allowed us to collaborate on such an impactful and innovative marketing initiative for this incredible film. The Immortals trailer launch is unprecedented, and we are thrilled to tap into Clear Channel’s loyal fan base, and receive such valued personal endorsement from Ryan Seacrest and Clear Channel’s vast stable of renowned on-air talent.”

Clear Channel CEO John Hogan said, “Clear Channel is focused on delivering exciting music and entertainment experiences to fans wherever they are and has the promotional power to reach listeners in 150 markets across the country. Our partnership with Relativity Media is another clear indication that Clear Channel can provide its listeners exciting, unique content that no other company can.”

The extraordinary Greek epic IMMORTALS releasing in theaters November 11, 2011, is a stylish and visually spectacular 3D action adventure by visionary director Tarsem Singh, and is written by Charles Parlapanides and Vlas Parlapanides.

From the producers of 300, Gianni Nunnari, Mark Canton, and Relativity’s CEO Ryan Kavanaugh, Immortals tells the story of the ruthless King Hyperion (Rourke), who leads his bloodthirsty army on a murderous rampage across Greece to find a deadly weapon that will destroy humanity. A mortal chosen by Zeus named Theseus (Cavill) must lead the fight against Hyperion and his evil army with the fate of mankind and the Gods at Stake.

Looking ahead, Relativity will release David Ellis’ Shark Night 3D on September 2, 2011. The studio is in production on its Untitled Snow White Project (in theatres March 16, 2012), starring Lily Collins as Snow White, Oscar®-winner Julia Roberts as the evil Queen, Armie Hammer as Prince Andrew Alcott, and Nathan Lane as the hapless and bungling servant to the Queen. Relativity’s expansive 2012 slate also includes its Haywire (in theaters January 20, 2012), Untitled Raven Project (in theatres March 9, 2012), Untitled Farrelly/Wessler Project (in theatres April 13, 2012), House at the End of the Street (in theatres April 20, 2012), Safe Haven (in theatres June 1, 2012) and Hunter Killer (in theatres December 21, 2012).

ABOUT RELATIVITY MEDIA, LLC
Relativity Media is a next-generation studio engaged in multiple aspects of entertainment including full-scale film and television production and distribution, the co-financing of major studio film slates, music publishing, sports management, and digital media. Additionally, the company makes strategic partnerships with, and investments in, media and entertainment-related companies and assets.

To date, Relativity has committed to, produced and/or financed more than 200 motion pictures. Released films have accumulated more than $15 billion in worldwide box office receipts. Relativity’s recent films include: Bridesmaids, Hop, Limitless, Battle: Los Angeles, Season of The Witch, Little Fockers, The Fighter, The Social Network, Salt, Despicable Me, Grown Ups, Dear John, It’s Complicated, Couples Retreat, and Zombieland. Upcoming films for Relativity include: Shark Night 3D, Immortals, Anonymous, and Cowboys & Aliens. Thirty-six of the company’s films have opened to No. 1 at the box office. Relativity films have earned 60 Oscar® nominations, including nods for The Fighter, The Social Network, The Wolfman, Nine, A Serious Man, Frost/Nixon, Atonement, American Gangster and 3:10 to Yuma. Fifty-eight of Relativity’s films have each generated more than $100 million in worldwide box-office receipts.

ABOUT CLEAR CHANNEL RADIO
With 237 million monthly listeners in the U.S., Clear Channel Radio has the largest reach of any media company in America. Clear Channel radio serves 150 cities through 850 radio stations. The company’s radio stations and content can be heard on AM/FM stations, HD digital radio channels, Sirius/XM satellite, on the Internet, at iheartradio.com, and on the iHeartRadio mobile application on iPads and smart phones, and used via navigation systems from TomTom, Garmin and others. The company’s operations include radio broadcasting, syndication and independent media representation. Clear Channel Radio is a division of Clear Channel Communications, Inc. (OTCBB:CCMO), a leading global media and entertainment company. More information on the company can be found at www.clearchannel.com.

Principal Photography Begins on Relativity’s Untitled Snow White

Roberts, Collins, Hammer & Lane Star

(Beverly Hills, CA) June 15, 2011 – Filming on Relativity Media’s comedy action-adventure Untitled Snow White will begin on Monday, June 20, 2011, under the stylish direction of Tarsem Singh (Immortals, The Cell).

In Relativity’s Untitled Snow White starring Oscar®-winner Julia Roberts and breakout star Lilly Collins (The Blind Side), an evil Queen (Roberts) steals control of a kingdom, and an exiled princess (Collins) enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright in a spirited adventure comedy filled with jealousy, romance, and betrayal that will capture the imagination of audiences the world over. The film also stars Armie Hammer (The Social Network) as the object of their affection, Prince Andrew Alcott, and Nathan Lane (The Birdcage) as the hapless and bungling servant to the Queen.

Rounding out the cast are: Mare Winningham (Brothers) as Baker Margaret, Michael Lerner (Elf) as Baron, Robert Emms (War Horse) as Renbock, and Mark Povinelli (Water for Elephants), Jordan Prentice (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle), Danny Woodburn (Watchmen), Sebastian Saraceno (Bedtime Stories), Ronald Lee Clark (Epic Movie), Martin Klebba (Pirates of The Caribbean) and Joey Gnoffo (The Benchwarmers) as the Seven Dwarfs.

Singh’s behind the scenes creative team includes:  Director of Photography Brendan Galvin  (Behind Enemy Lines), Production Designer Tom Foden  (The Cell) and the Oscar®-winning Costume Designer Eiko Ishioka (Dracula). Untitled Snow White will film entirely on location in Montreal, Canada.

The film’s producers are Ryan Kavanaugh (The Fighter), Bernie Goldmann (300) and Brett Ratner (Rush Hour franchise). The script was written by Melisa Wallack (Meet Bill) and Jason Keller (Machine Gun Preacher).

Looking ahead, Relativity will release David Ellis’ Shark Night 3D on September 2, 2011 and then the highly-anticipated Immortals on November 11th, 2011, starring Henry Cavill, Stephen Dorff, Isabel Lucas, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans, Kellan Lutz with John Hurt and Mickey Rourke. Relativity’s expansive 2012 slate also includes its House at End of the Street (in theatres February 3, 2012), Untitled Raven Project (in theatres March 9, 2012), Untitled Farrelly/Wessler Project (in theatres April 13, 2012), Safe Haven (in theatres June 1, 2012) and Hunter Killer (in theatres December 21, 2012). The studio recently announced the groundbreaking action-thriller Act of Valor will join its 2012 slate, with an exact date to be announced.

ABOUT RELATIVITY MEDIA, LLC
Relativity Media is a next-generation studio engaged in multiple aspects of entertainment including full-scale film and television production and distribution, the co-financing of major studio film slates, music publishing, sports management, and digital media. Additionally, the company makes strategic partnerships with, and investments in, media and entertainment-related companies and assets.

To date, Relativity has committed to, produced and/or financed more than 200 motion pictures.  Released films have accumulated more than $15 billion in worldwide box office receipts.  Relativity’s recent films include: Bridesmaids, Hop, Limitless, Battle: Los Angeles, Season of The Witch, Little Fockers, The Fighter, The Social Network, Salt, Despicable Me, Grown Ups, Dear John, It’s Complicated, Couples Retreat, and Zombieland. Upcoming films for Relativity include: Shark Night 3D, Immortals, Anonymous, and Cowboys & Aliens.  Thirty-six of the company’s films have opened to No. 1 at the box office.  Relativity films have earned 60 Oscar® nominations, including nods for The Fighter, The Social Network, The Wolfman, Nine, A Serious Man, Frost/Nixon, Atonement, American Gangster and 3:10 to Yuma. Fifty-seven of Relativity’s films have each generated more than $100 million in worldwide box-office receipts

Relativity’s SNOW WHITE Rounds Out Casting

Relativity Announces Nine Actors to Play alongside Roberts, Collins, Hammer, and Lane

(Beverly Hills, CA) May 25, 2011 – Relativity Media has closed deals with Mark Povinelli (Water for Elephants), Jordan Prentice (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle), Danny Woodburn (Watchmen), Sebastian Saraceno (Bedtime Stories), Ronald Lee Clark (Epic Movie), Martin Klebba (Hancock) and Joey Gnoffo (Pirates of the Caribbean series) to play the Seven Dwarfs in its upcoming untitled SNOW WHITE feature, directed by Tarsem Singh (Immortals, The Cell). The studio has also cast Mare Winningham (Brothers) as Baker Margaret and Michael Lerner (Elf) as Baron. 

The nine actors join the previously announced cast in which Oscar®-winner Julia Roberts plays the Queen, Lily Collins (The Blind Side) plays Snow White, Armie Hammer (The Social Network) plays Prince Andrew Alcott, and Nathan Lane (The Lion King, The Birdcage) plays the Queen’s hapless and bungling servant, Brighton.  Pre-production has begun, and principal photography will start in June. The theatrical release date is set for March 16, 2012.

In Relativity’s Snow White, a spectacular reimagining of the classic fairy tale, an evil queen steals control of a kingdom, and an exiled princess enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright in a spirited adventure comedy filled with jealousy, romance, and betrayal that will capture the imagination of audiences the world over.

The film’s producers are Ryan Kavanaugh (The Fighter), Bernie Goldmann (300) and Brett Ratner (Rush Hour franchise). The script was written by Melisa Wallack (Meet Bill) and Jason Keller (Machine Gun Preacher).

Coming off its success of the box office hit Limitless, the studio will release Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer on June 10, 2011. Looking ahead, Relativity will release David Ellis’ Shark Night 3D on September 2, 2011, followed by the highly-anticipated Immortals on November 11th, 2011, starring Henry Cavill, Stephen Dorff, Isabel Lucas, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans, Kellan Lutz with John Hurt and Mickey Rourke.

ABOUT RELATIVITY MEDIA, LLC
Relativity Media is a next-generation studio engaged in multiple aspects of entertainment including full-scale film and television production and distribution, the co-financing of major studio film slates, music publishing, sports management, and digital media.  Additionally, the company makes strategic partnerships with, and investments in, media and entertainment-related companies and assets.

To date, Relativity has committed to, produced and/or financed more than 200 motion pictures.  Released films have accumulated more than $15 billion in worldwide box office receipts.  Relativity’s recent films include: Bridesmaids, Hop, Limitless, Battle: Los Angeles, Season of The Witch, Little Fockers, The Fighter, The Social Network, Salt, Despicable Me, Grown Ups, Dear John, It’s Complicated, Couples Retreat, and Zombieland. Upcoming films for Relativity include: Shark Night 3D, Immortals, Anonymous, and Cowboys & Aliens.  Thirty-six of the company’s films have opened to No. 1 at the box office.  Relativity films have earned 60 Oscar® nominations, including nods for The Fighter, The Social Network, The Wolfman, Nine, A Serious Man, Frost/Nixon, Atonement, American Gangster and 3:10 to Yuma. Fifty-five of Relativity’s films have each generated more than $100 million in worldwide box-office receipts.

The Gods Need A Hero In The New IMMORTALS Trailer & Posters

The legends of the Greek gods come to life like never before in this new trailer for IMMORTALS. Relativity Media will theatrically market and distribute its 3-D epic IMMORTALS, in association with Universal Pictures International, in North America.

Walks, talks and looks like Zack Snyder’s 300. And speaking of said director, what’s everyone think of this preview of the MAN OF STEEL’s (aka Superman), Henry Cavill?

Synopsis:

Eons after the Gods won their mythic struggle against the Titans, a new evil threatens the land. Mad with power, King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) has declared war against humanity. Amassing a bloodthirsty army of soldiers disfigured by his own hand, Hyperion has scorched Greece in search of the legendary Epirus Bow, a weapon of unimaginable power forged in the heavens by Ares.

Only he who possesses this bow can unleash the Titans, who have been imprisoned deep within the walls of Mount Tartaros since the dawn of time and thirst for revenge. In the king’s hands, the bow would rain destruction upon mankind and annihilate the Gods. But ancient law dictates the Gods must not intervene in man’s conflict. They remain powerless to stop Hyperion – until a peasant named Theseus (Henry Cavill) comes forth as their only hope.

Secretly chosen by Zeus, Theseus must save his people from Hyperion and his hordes. Rallying a band of fellow outsiders – including visionary priestess Phaedra (Freida Pinto) and cunning slave Stavros (Stephen Dorff) – one hero will lead the uprising, or watch his homeland fall into ruin and his Gods vanish into legend.

The 3-D epic adventure Immortals is directed by revolutionary visualist Tarsem Singh (The Cell, The Fall) and produced by Gianni Nunnari and Mark Canton, the producers of 300, as well as Ryan Kavanaugh (Dear John, The Dark Fields).

The film will be in theaters on November 11, 2011.

Check out these posters from 300…I mean IMMORTALS

Rourke Starts a WAR OF THE GODS

Another day.  Another blockbuster for Mickey Rourke to gnash his teeth into.  He’s already set to kick a little Downey ass in IRON MAN 2.  Just last week, Rourke officially signed on to play CONAN’s daddy in the new version of that film.  Now, Rourke is absolutely going God-like, as Variety is reporting he has stepped into the role of the villain, King Hyperion, for Tarsem Singh’s WAR OF THE GODS.  Rourke steps into the role against Henry Cavill and Freida Pinto.

The film tells the tale of a young warrior, presumably to be played by Cavill, who leads a group of men in battle against evil gods in order to save humanity.  Something tells me this is going to be more 300 and less LEGION. One can hope, anyway.

The film is set up at Relativity Media with Universal serving as distributor.  The belief that Rourke would quietly slip back into the night after losing the Oscar has proven to be a falsehood.  The man is sticking around, and he’s taking some roles with him.  We haven’t seen him in IRON MAN 2, yet, but here’s hoping he isn’t quickly pigeon-holing himself into these smaller or villainous roles just to earn some notoriety and some fast cash.

WAR OF THE GODS is set to begin production in April.

Epic Greek Mythology Remakes at War …

While I’m not one to get caught up in the hype of these Hollywood remake and resurgence projects, this new wave of films is getting me a little randy. As a kid, I was fascinated with watching the old Ray Harryhausen films like ‘Clash of the Titans’ so I can’t help but wonder what the technology of our time has to offer.

Well, here’s the newest scoop on this story … and man has it got some punch!

‘Clash of the Titans’

This remake has been tosses around for a few years now, but it seems its more likely than ever to get the full-on greenlight. Warner Bros. has tapped into this re-surging market with the development of a remake. The studio has signed Louis Letterier, the action-friendly director of the ‘Transporter’ films and the recently released and immensely popular ‘Incredible Hulk’ reboot. As if this wasn’t appealing enough, Lawrence Kasdan (Empire Strikes Back) has written the coveted script for this mighty remake.

‘War of Gods’

Having actually beat Warner Bros. out in a bidding war for ‘War of Gods’ Relativity Media will be producing this film that makes ‘Clash’ seem like child’s play. Set in ancient Greece, this film takes place during a massive war whereas Prince Theseus leads mankind in a battle alongside the Greek Gods against evil demons and the gargantuan Titans. Sound good? Yeah, how ’bout adding this in for flavor … Tarsem Singh (The Cell, The Fall) is attached to direct this larger-than-life mythological epic.

Review: ‘The Fall’

Nick:

If you love the cinema, then do yourself a favor and go see ‘The Fall.’ There are images within the film that you will carry with you for a long time, sights that are too striking to be ignored.

There is a story, too, underneath all the visual splendor.

In a California hospital, a bedridden stuntman befriends an injured girl and begins to tell her an elaborate fantasy, and the audience sees it through her eyes. The stuntman’s motivation is that he wants to die, her motivation is the need for a father figure.

When the movie is over, you will wish it were possible to see through Tarsem’s eyes. It must be incredible.

Some of you may be familiar with Tarsem’s previous film, ‘The Cell.’ It was generally panned by critics for reasons that aren’t important here. But the point where almost everybody agreed was that Tarsem delivered a shockingly beautiful film, with moments as close to fine art as anyone has ever captured on celluloid. I, personally, do not like ‘The Cell,’ but own a copy just so I can watch about ten minutes of jaw-dropping visuals.

Thankfully, ‘The Fall’ doesn’t suffer from those same pitfalls. It has a very sweet story, and the narrative is carried upon the shoulders of its two lead actors, Lee Pace and Catinca Untaru, both of whom turn in really wonderful performances. As well, the supporting cast is an extraordinary collection of distinctive characters, all with their own visual motif.

There is, I suppose, a little something for everyone: Love, loss, action and adventure – all of which looks like everything and nothing you have ever seen. The fantasy sequences are informed by countless artists, the costumes influenced by every culture.

This movie will amaze you, if you let it.

(4 out of 5)

Zac:

Director Tarsem creates a beautiful piece of visual art that is slightly marred by a shaky story that is a bit all over the place, even if the story defining the story is supposed make things erratic, it still doesn’t quite work all the way (I promise that sentence will make sense by the end of the review).
Alexandria (Catinca Untaru) is an imaginative and curious little girl who has unfortunately broken her arm and is forced to stay in hospital until fully recovered. Roy (Lee Pace) is a movie stunt man who has broken his back, due to a broken heart, trying to impress the one he loves with a ridiculous horse riding stunt that ended with a dead horse; and the panic and mayhem of the misfired stunt is captured breathtakingly during the opening credits. These two form an unlikely connection when Alexandria wanders into Roy’s ward of the hospital and the two begin to discuss Alexandria’s name and eventually into a story Roy begins melding from aspects of Alexandria’s life and his own struggles at the point and time.
The adventure Roy weaves is fun and the story follows an interesting path, as well as being filled with a number of interesting and imaginative characters. This is a tale of “bandits” seeking revenge on the evil Governor Odious led by the Masked Bandit he is followed by, the Indian a grieving husband, Luigi an explosive mastermind, Charles Darwin, and Otta Benga a former slave. The fivesome band together with the assistance of the Mystic and we watch Roy’s story unfold in Alexandria’s imagination.
For the most part this works, but there are a number of times were things seem to just be happening to happen and can appear very disjointed, but that is just the nature of the story so I don’t know how I ultimately feel about that. The real story is just as interesting, if not more so, than the fantasy portion of the proceedings, as Alexandria discovers herself while Roy comes to grips with internal demons.
The look of this film is just extraordinary, and the locales that Tarsem has found is just eye popping. I can’t imagine if this was full backed by a studio what he would have created, but the film still looks remarkable with each shot in the fantasy world just being beautiful. The humor in the film is kind of an odd duck out though for Tarsem. There are moments that he nods at humor, but don’t feel like it should, and I found myself not sure if I was supposed to be laughing or not, and a couple of awkward jokes that are directed at Alexandria through the camera don’t really quite work. The film blends in and out of reality, with dialogue whispering in and out of cuts and realms, and it gets a bit hard to totally grasp what is going on all the time.
The acting in the film is pretty much left to just Pace and Untaru and they do a fine job together. The actors portraying the other bandits do admirable jobs, but they don’t really have all that much to work with. Untaru is cute as a button and the banter between her and Pace seem genuine most of the time with many cute and confused exchanges. Justine Waddell adds little in her role, but her character gets lost in and out of the story and we never really get a real feel for her and what she really deserves or wants.
In the end, The Fall is an intriguing and interesting fantasy film that is full of imagination. Tarsem does a fantastic job at painting a beautiful portrait for us to watch and come play in, one just is left wishing the adventure would have been a bit more fluid. If the plot would have been a bit more steady and coherent, the could have been a classic fantasy film, as it stands, it is an interesting and entertaining piece of cinema that is worth checking out, but I think sadly fell short of what it could have been.

(3.75 out of 5)

[rating: 4/5]

The Fall

Directed by Tarsem Singh

Written by Dan Gilroy and Nico Soultanakis & Tarsem Singh

Starring

Lee Pace as Roy Walker

& Catinca Untaru as Alexandria

Running Time: 117 minutes

Costumes by Eiko Ishioka, cinematography by Colin Watkinson, production design by Ged Clarke… these three ingredients, under the direction of Tarsem Singh, combine to make one of the most beautiful movies you will ever see.