I had no problem with investing in them. I was quite surprised how attached I became, actually. The emotional climax of the film was stronger than any film I can remember recently, and it managed to work in a lot of laughs too. Their natural performances went a long way in that regard. I feel that the narrative was just a means of getting to know them, and the film shouldn't have gotten any deeper in a story. It wasn't about that at all. It was about a relationship and a mindset and what bonds can do to people. What would be the point of stronger narrative? How could it have served the characters any better?

I agree

Here's what put me off while watching the film:

I guess I'm on the frustrated side of the fence. That being said, I might get a bit more out of it on a subsequent viewing, but since it's playing at a faraway theater from me, that viewing will likely be on DVD/HDM later on.

But still, it's worth checking out if you're tired of the parade of summer blockbusters.

I saw this the other day and was blown away. Much better than I expected it to be. Great acting and story to match the images, unlike the Cell. Definite Blu purchase when it comes out.

I thought it was rather so-so, and thus disappointing as the trailer had me expecting a more enchanting experience. I just didn’t connect with the characters or storyline at all which resulted in the movie coming across as flat. While I do realize that the fantasy part of the film is from the little girl’s viewpoint, it was more silly than delightful for me. The little girl’s performance grabbed some interest initially but once I acclimated to the charms of her accent and dialogue delivery, even her performance came across as monotonous. The other performers registered not much impact for me. As to the undoubtedly pretty visuals in the film, even these left me rather detached as if I were simply flipping through a copy of National Geographic magazine or maybe casually glancing at a neighbor’s vacation photos of their trip to some "exotic" land. Sometimes visual and aural presentation can be enough to result in a great viewing experience, but the cinematography here just never sprang to life for me…there was no movie magic…mood and atmosphere was lacking, and I never felt transported to these other worlds. All in all, it was lots of whipped cream, but no cake or ice cream.

The DVD release is on September 9th!!!

Tarsem is a visualist of the highest order.

The opening sequence is a visual orgy. As are the fantasy sequences. Parajanov meets Gilliam.

Most child actors just do what directors tell them to do with the result generally annoying and affected. The girl here is very natural. It's sort of a deceptive coming of age story.

Here's some more DVD specs of THE FALL.

The dvd is unfortunately is non-anamorphic letterboxed, and English DD 2.0. ;)

check out some specs here: http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/the-fall.html

I just watched this and was blown away. I was bawling uncontrollably at the end and I've only done that with two other films (Edward Scissorhands and Dancer in the Dark). It just drained me for some reason.

I'm glad that I didn't read any negative reviews before I saw it because I didn't agree with any of the criticisms. I connected more with these characters than any in a long while, maybe it's just me.

Lee Pace has now become one of my favorite actors (with his work in Wonderfalls and Pushing Daisies, as well, and I will watch Soldier's Girl next) and my love for Spike Jonze and David Fincher has reached new heights for giving me the chance to see this.

Right now it's a toss up between The Dark Knight and The Fall for my favorite film of the year so far and only Benjamin Button and The Road look like they could be up there, too.

I got the DVD on Saturday...Excellent DVD quality. There really is no need to buy the blu-ray. The DVD anamorphic video and DD 5.1 is both 10 out of 10 points....the dvd has two good commentaries, two pointless deleted scenes, and one interesting featurette. The main disappointment with the dvd is that the great trailer for this movie is not on this dvd.

The DVD does look pretty damn good save for the general haze associated with DVDs on my setup (at 106", the murkiness of DVDs rears its ugly head), and it sort of makes me believe the Blu really is the reference quality disc all the reviews say it is, can't wait to get it :up:.

No need to buy the blu-ray!?? Pish posh. This film was MADE for BD! ;)
Seriously, check out DVDTalks review of the BD. Gave the film 5/5 stars.
AND the picture the same rating. No, I've been waiting for this on BD
since I saw it at a crappy movie theater. Regular DVD be damned.

this is one of the best movies you will ever see! 9/10.i would give it 10/10 if it wasn't for the meh ending.the R1 DVD transfer is breathtaking.you also get 2 deleted scenes,1 hour making-of (2 featurettes which i really enjoyed) and 2 audio commentaries.

I just watched this on DVD (not blue-ray) and was blown away by the its art direction and flouresent visuals. It doesn't deserve the R rating and I think beyond the art-house crowd this could have had a broader audience if not for the harsh rating. PG-13 would have sufficed. Rented this from Netflix but just might invest in my own copy down the road.

Watched the Blu-Ray last night, and it was very good... but didn't quite match my expectations. The fantasy/story scenes didn't really have any dramatic weight for me... probably due in part to the style of the director... beautiful to look at, perhaps just a little too "out there" for me to take it seriously.

Finally got around to my Netflix'd Blu-ray of this the other night, and...wow. The hype was right. This is 12 times the movie Pan's Labyrinth was...and I loved that! A cross between Pan's, The Matrix, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and the only movie of the past couple of years aside from United 93 that I nearly started crying. That girl and Lee Pace were both fantastic, with the latter a few more roles closer to joining Norton, Bardem, Bale, Downey, and Brolin in my Awesome Hall of Fame. I can't comprehend how many times I was completely entrenched by the visual style; Tarsem really is as visionary as he's made out to be. I think Blu-ray completely amplifies the film too because both the picture and audio are reference quality, the latter one of the more aggressive mixes I've heard on the format.

Probably second to The Dark Knight and Iron Man as my favorite movie this year.

It still blows my mind that those environments aren't CGI. It looks amazing, even after several viewings.

Hmmm. I don't agree with the 12 times the movie "Pan's Labyrinth" was. And why compare it to that film? At any rate, I saw this in a crappy theater (as mentioned above), so I was waiting like crazy for the BD. Which is how this film demands to be seen. A nice crisp image. Because it is eye candy. Not only that, the performances of Lee Pace and that little girl. You must must buy this movie on BD.

qft

I agree!

Wow. I finally watched this movie, and I'm kicking myself for not going to see it in theatres - I wanted to at the time of its release but was too busy with other things to make the extra effort. I hated 'The Cell' when it came out and vowed never to watch anything else by this director - boy what a few years make. This was an unforgettable film for me - my wife loved the fantasy/story elements and how they shifted based on the girl's imagination while I really liked the real world storyline.

This and WallE are the movies that might get me to finally buy a PS3. I'm just not sure I can see limiting myself to 480p with these two.

Michael

I did the Blu Ray on a PS3 with a 1080p Samsung and it was astounding,

This was a great film. Such an amazing visual experience.

I agree with what others have said regarding the stunning visuals and amazing performance of the the 5 year-old actress.

I was however, left a little flat by the story. I would recommend this as a "Rent it" to friends.