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Review #165 of 365
Film: Fall to Grace [NR]
WIP™ Scale: $6.00
Where Viewed: Landmark Metro, Seattle, WA
When 1st Seen: 26 June 2006
Time: 7:15 p.m.
An artist doing construction work on the side recently told me that without constructive criticism, he would never improve or possibly know what to improve in his work. I guess, I never looked at writing movie critiques from that angle before. My concept has always been more to guide people toward movies they will love vs. those that will leave them flat or cold and feeling disappointed. Today's film, Fall to Grace, received very good reviews from those who saw it at the Seattle International Film Festival. I, unfortunately, would not be able to give rave reviews. So, in the spirit of constructive criticism, this debut, independent, feature-length film written and directed by Mari Marchbanks seemed to lack a sense of direction from the start. Possessing an ensemble cast with intersecting stories, the film has no real protagonist nor antagonist. It chronicles the lives of the members of several families who seem nearly more like neighbors in a small town than they really are. One thing they all have in common is a lack of financial freedom. Most of the adult characters in the film seemed to believe in a better future for their families and were willing to work for their dreams, while the kids seem largely oblivious. If this film is meant to be an accurate portrayal of a slice of life in the USA, it is hard to imagine. There are shady dealings in every corner of the town, leaving nearly no one absolved of guilt, if by nothing more than association, in the end. Most of the characters are ineffectual people who blame shortcomings in their lives on everything but their own poor choices. Moreover, it seems like there is barely any hope for the younger generation to break the cycle set in motion by their parents or guardians.
Just a minor thing, however, while the story takes place in Texas, none of the characters spoke with a Texas accent. This was fine for the Georgian immigrant family, but what about the others?
Plotwise, there is just too little of any importance going on in the film. There is almost no growth of any of the characters, and overall, this film turned out to be missing the human connection that would have made a difference in making this film impacting vs. roughly developed. The one bright spot was the character Kristofer Rostropovich and the actor who played him Gabriel Luna. Mr. Luna took a shell for Kris and turned him into a confident, caring, loyal, and always positive person. Despite being dealt a full house of bad luck cards, he focuses on being the best Georgian basketball player ever and getting the highest grades ever. Were every character drawn as richly as he was, this movie might have had a chance of really touching the audience. As for the cinematography and other behind the scenes efforts of the crew, they did a very good jog. The film has an interesting low-budget look, with high production-value feel. Unfortunately, this did nothing in the end to compensate for a lack of depth in virtually all other dimensions.
Just a minor thing, however, while the story takes place in Texas, none of the characters spoke with a Texas accent. This was fine for the Georgian immigrant family, but what about the others?
Plotwise, there is just too little of any importance going on in the film. There is almost no growth of any of the characters, and overall, this film turned out to be missing the human connection that would have made a difference in making this film impacting vs. roughly developed. The one bright spot was the character Kristofer Rostropovich and the actor who played him Gabriel Luna. Mr. Luna took a shell for Kris and turned him into a confident, caring, loyal, and always positive person. Despite being dealt a full house of bad luck cards, he focuses on being the best Georgian basketball player ever and getting the highest grades ever. Were every character drawn as richly as he was, this movie might have had a chance of really touching the audience. As for the cinematography and other behind the scenes efforts of the crew, they did a very good jog. The film has an interesting low-budget look, with high production-value feel. Unfortunately, this did nothing in the end to compensate for a lack of depth in virtually all other dimensions.
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