directed by:
Isaac F. Davis written by: Isaac F. Davis genre: Drama, Romance |
Four months into their relationship Atticus and Ava are each asking themselves some big questions. Is this love or simply a desire to avoid being alone? "Fall on Me," a short film written and directed by Isaac F. Davis, stars Francis C. Edemobi and Ashley Fuller. Both leads turned in strong performances that I may have cared about more if not for the heavy-handed voiceover, which quickly became cluttered and over the top. These characters both essentially tell us everything that they are thinking and feeling "before" we've had a chance to get to know them in our own way. By the end, I simply felt like a spectator with no real opportunity to make an emotional connection of my own.
With that said, "Fall on Me" is a very professional-looking production, competently executed for the most part, with some nice editing that keeps things moving right along. However, there are also a series of title inserts and dedications that I "feel" should have come at the movie's end instead of at the beginning. If it's not subtitles or a prelude set up to coming events, then I don't want to read my way through a movie experience. I bring this forth as a criticism because the reading didn't stop there. Part 1 – An angel infiltrates the heart - Part 2 Ego's and internal conflicts, Part 3 – etc. With a running time of 24 minutes, it feels intrusive and over the top. This can be a dangerous trap that many storytellers happen to fall into. It implies that we associate deeper meaning with what isn't necessarily earned on the screen. An audience doesn't need philosophical interjections to develop and form a perspective of their own. Stories are told through characters, actions, and camera placement.
"Fall on Me" hits a few targets - all of which would have landed better on stage - in my opinion. The writing is definitely not bad; it's just a lot of content being forced into such a short running time. When it's all said and done, however, "Fall on Me" was a pretty good film and earns a respectable two and a half stars. |
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