The Fall (2006)

The Fall is about a man who becomes broken  - mentally, physically, and in his heart. In this state, he tries to tell a story to a child, creating a wildly eccentric tale full of goofiness, beauty, death, and every emotion you can imagine. The viewer experiences two worlds: the hospital lives of a little girl and a young film stuntman who have both experienced recent tragedies, and the fantasy world that they create together.

Out of all the independent films I have seen this one really stands out and easily outshines most hollywood cinematography and imagination. Tarsem Signh's direction is so admirable, from the acting to the visual creations. The young girl's (Catinca Untaru) performance is close to the best child acting there is. She is Romanian, playing an immigrant with broken english. Her realism makes it difficult to fathom that she is actually in character.

It is difficult to really describe how visually stunning this film is. The fantasy scenes are so colorful and lavish, shot in gorgeous landscapes from all over the world (France, India, Italy, Egypt, Brazil, South Africa, Fiji...etc.). The costume designs are over-the-top, in fact, everything about the fantasy world is over-the-top. There are so many captivating scenes: an underwater elephant, butterflies shooting from a hero's mouth, a chanting mystic tree cult. And the symbolism between the two worlds is emotionally captivating.

Even Robert Ebert gave a good review!

A Tale Of Two Sisters (2003)

This is an excellent asian horror film, in fact, one of my favorite horror films. It is comparable to Audition in style but Jee-woon Kim's construction is more solid when it comes to the puzzle-like nature that both films possess. He manages to create horror using both psychological and supernatural elements, executing them both with great skill. I have a hard time finding ghost-like characters in movies that look believable and frightening. Jee-woon Kim uses an approach similar to The Ring, but he does it successfully.

The suspense is horrifying. The story takes place in a house to which two sisters return home after leaving a mental institution. The audience has little information to start with but the family's dark secrets slowly piece together. The ending is emotionally disturbing and quite unpredictable. I actually had to re-watch a few scenes to fully understand and accept the film's fate and that made me realize just how perfectly he set-up the ending. I am also glad that he didn't go in the 'open-interpretation' direction.

The film is beautiful. The camera shots are poetic with intentional use of placement, symmetry, and color. There are some gorgeous shots that I literally paused for just to admire. The young actresses are very believable and look very pretty throughout the film.


*The Uninvited (2009) is the American remake 

Phenomena (1985)

Another murder mystery masterpiece by Dario Argento. Phenomena is incredibly entertaining. The creativity in this film is even more extreme than many of his others. There are so many plot twists...just when you think you know how it is going to end he introduces a new element out of left field. His scripts get lots of criticism for being untraditional but I love how brilliantly he executes his off-key imagination.

Jennifer Connelly shines as the star in this film. Her character's unnatural relationship with insects (which is what Phenomena is most well-known for) is actually much more interesting than what I was expecting, but that is just one of the many ingredients that make this film. The scenery is lovely, the suspense is great, and the amount of gore is perfect.

I tend to compare Argento's films to Suspiria, his most popular. I personally prefer Phenomena for its uniqueness and fantastical story. As far as the soundtracks go it is hard to choose. Goblin's music is awesome in both films, better in Suspiria, but when coupled with Iron Maiden's contribution it does incredible things for the mood and style of Phenomena.

The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane (1976)

"A lone 13-year-old resorts to murder to protect her haven." is the synopsis as described by IMDb. Paired with the film's title I was expecting a 'little girl psycho killer' type movie but there was much more depth to it, most impressively within the characterization. The little girl is a 13-year-old adult played by a wise-beyond-her-years, young Jodie Foster. A fierce performance.

The character is a self-reliant, precocious, young teen living on her own under a false pretense. Adamant against social conditioning and demanding of her right to live freely and peacefully, she  quickly becomes targeted and victimized by the community. When her way of life becomes threatened she is forced to do what she must to survive and does so gracefully as she is just as devious as her foes. I love this film's courage and how not a trace of fear is shown even in the most threatening situations, yet it is there in the undertow.

This is one of those films that is categorized under horror probably because there really isn't a fitting genre. It is uniquely bizarre and I love how the 70s mannerisms compliment that...definitely not a film you would see made today.

Rabbit Hole (2010)

Rabbit Hole is a sad but beautiful story about a couple that has lost their son. Director John Cameron Mitchell masters the portrayal of grief as the characters cope with their loss. Despite the all-star cast this is a quiet film - the plot is not overly-ambitious, simply exploring life after death, so to speak (and in a visually stunning manner).

I am a fan of Nicole Kidman and many of her glorious roles but this has to be one of her most dedicated  performances. That goes for Dianne Wiest, Aaron Eckhart, and Miles Teller as well. Their characters seem to completely consume them. The acting is pure and the dialog is so perfectly worded that it feels real. 

Whether or not as a viewer you have experienced death in this manner you will empathize and relate to the characters. Watching their struggling relationships and their individual ways of coping is so intense that it plants a part of their pain in your gut. I can't imagine that it is an easy thing to film emotion but this one gets 10 stars for nailing it. 

Because of its sorrowful topic I can understand why this film isn't more recognized but it should be given a chance because it renders the fact that there can be comfort and beauty in sadness. And the ending is hopeful.