I saw THE FALL yesterday. Absolutely stunning to look at, and both Lee Pace and the little girl were amazing, but somehow it just didn't come together. Definitely in the BIG FISH / BARON MUNCHAUSEN school, though way more downbeat than either. The girl who played Alexandria brought a touch of PAN'S LABYRINTH to it as well, though it's nowhere near that harsh in it's real world sections.
I think what didn't work was the that the fantasy sequences, gorgeous though they were to watch, didn't draw me in. I think that may have been deliberate to a certain extent so the effect of what Roy does to the story's arc isn't too harsh, but I think it would have been a more effective film if what happens at the end of the story felt the way to the audience the way it did to the girl. Still, I think it's well worth a rental when it comes out on DVD next week.
And I saw it in the PERFECT theater. It doubles as the theater for a magic troupe, and it has this amazing old time feel to it: [link] Unfortunately, their web site doesn't really have any good pictures of the theater itself. They could use a better sound system, and the seats can be a bit dodgy, but it just feels amazing to see something there.
Oh man, LaFontaine is a legend.
Also, some theory about the movie being delayed while Daniel Radcliffe gets naked on Broadway.
I've read that it's actually leftover scheduling trauma from the writer's strike - Warner Bros was left without a summer tentpole release, so they moved HBP up to cover the hole. (Which makes more sense to me since the nekkid DR pics have been up online for months now - wasn't the London run before GoF?)
I don't recall the timing of
Equus
in London cf. release of GoF.
Equus ran in the West End from February '07 to June '07; Order of the Phoenix was released July '07.
Thanks so much for that link Tom. I loved Don LaFontaine and didn't even know it. This link is to a great 5 minute bio-piece on his work. blessblessbless.
Equus ran in the West End from February '07 to June '07; Order of the Phoenix was released July '07.
Radcliffe was adorable on the Jonathan Ross show begging people to not believe the hype about the show being sold out. I'm betting it became true roughly 5 minutes after he said it!
Frank, your thoughts on
The Fall
are pretty much in line with mine.
Voiceover actor Don LaFontaine has died at 68
Oh man. He was on "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" a year or two ago and was *hilarious*, adding "In a world..." to the most inappropriate stories.
Frank, your thoughts on The Fall are pretty much in line with mine.
I'm curious how I'd react to a second viewing. I didn't ping they were pulling a Wizard of Oz with the actors playing the characters in the story (aside from Lee Pace and the woman) until late in the movie.
In a world...
...without Don LaFontaine...
...movie trailers...
...will never sound the same...
[link]
