Watch Your Step as You “Fall” in Love With ‘One Fall’
It’s not every day that the stars perfectly align and A), you meet a writer/director/actor from Ohio, B), you get to interview a writer/director/actor that you have mad respect for and C), you get to attend a film’s red carpet premiere with that said writer/director/actor. Did I lose you yet? I know that was a lot of variables I just threw at you in the very first sentence of this review, but I’m pretty confident that you can handle it. However, just in case you cannot, I’ll dispense with my vague poignancy and lift off the proverbial cloak of disguise. You can thank me later. In the meantime, we are gathered here today to chat about writer/director/actor Marcus Dean Fuller and his feature film, the very touching, sincerely warm hearted and emotionally moving, One Fall.
As I discussed with Marcus last Thursday here, I declined an offer from the marketing firm I contract with to receive a screener of the film. It partially had to do with time constraints in my personal life, but also I wanted to support my fellow Ohio native and see his dream/vision play out on the big screen. He has already been through everything I’m currently going through and I wanted to see his narrative play out larger than life. Even before I spoke my first word to Marcus, I had arranged to be at the film’s press screening the following week. Call it fate, call it divine intervention…heck…call it whatever you want. I had a gut feeling about this guy and from one filmmaker to another; I wanted to show my support and most importantly, respect. I figured that was the least I could do for this guy that was about to subject himself to one of my guerilla interviews. I’m just kidding…I don’t think I’m that bad. I just like to ask a bunch of open ended questions, but anyway, as I said before, I truly believe good things happen for a reason in life. And that’s all I will say on that front. To be continued…
So let’s talk about One Fall. As I exclaimed to Marcus and his loving/supporting family last night when I met them, I had no idea what I was in for. All I had to go on is what I read in the press release and what I saw in the film’s trailer. Speaking to Marcus was more than enough to seal the deal, but also there were two things that stood out to me in particular in regards to whetting my appetite for this movie. The first, and this is the filmmaker in me speaking, was the beautiful cinematography that I witnessed during my first viewing of the film’s theatrical trailer (found here). I was a believer. And second, like any good screenplay writer will tell you, it’s the story…story…story. I know. I know. I know. I’m being vague again, but give me a chance to explain. As I discussed with Marcus on the phone, I truly believe authors shine when they write about what they know. Now Marcus may not have these real life super powers his character employs within the film (and if he does I want to see them!), but it’s the hero’s journey where I think Marcus perfectly nailed the narrative in the writing process. If you don’t believe me, try it yourself. Write a fictional story about something you have no clue about and then write about something you are intimately familiar with and/or have experienced similar events in your lifetime. You don’t need to tell me what comes out better. I already know the answer to that one.
Wow! I really can get off the subject if you let me. So anyway, we were talking about One Fall. The film is both a powerful and emotional journey of a man (Marcus Dean Fuller) and his ability to heal others. That may sound like a blessing to most, but let’s face it…like Peter Parker’s uncle once said…with great power comes great responsibility. Ultimately, those powers can also be a curse. But think about what you can do with those powers? What would you charge to heal someone with terminal cancer? Would you use your power for good or let greed corrupt you? And what happens in life when you hit your proverbial “kryptonite” and your powers no longer work? Do you abandon everything and everyone you know and love and vanquish/disappear or do you persevere and find a solution through moments of excruciating pain, desperation and unbearable heartache? These questions and more are examined on a granular level within One Fall. Wow! I want to watch it again just thinking about all this deep subject matter. So I guess you can say, hell yeah…I’m a fan!
Here’s the situation. My biggest fear was that after getting along so well with Marcus on the phone last week I was a bit apprehensive over the simple fact that there could be the unpleasant possibility that hey…maybe I might not like his film. Thankfully, that was not the case. I LOVED it! It had just the right mixture of raw human emotion in its story and actors, superhero comedy (yes I did say “superhero”) and gorgeous cinematography via some incredible landscapes and perfectly framed shots. What more can an aspiring filmmaker ask for? That’s a rhetorical question, by the way. And I promise to stay on topic from now on.
One Fall tells the story of James Bond (I love this…reminds me of a name pun I employed in one of my screenplays), played by Marcus, who miraculously survived a 200 foot fall. After a very brief recovery (that’s an understatement), he disappeared from the city of One Fall without explanation. He even left behind his beautiful fiancé. He later returns to One Fall to face the music and use the gift he undeniably has. However, healing people doesn’t come cheap. There’s that moral dilemma I was talking about two paragraphs above. What would you do if you had this power? Would you exploit it or use it for greater good? James wrestles with this and more as people all around him, even loved ones, start to push him away. They can’t understand him. To them, the man who fell never came back. James must come to grip with who he is, why he survived that fall and what he is meant to do in this world with his gift. Again…wow! The story is not only profound in my opinion, but very powerful, deep and touching.
One Fall’s screenplay was written by Marcus Dean Fuller and Richard Greenberg. It was directed by Marcus Dean Fuller and executive produced by Richard K. Smucker. The movie stars Marcus Dean Fuller (this guy is all over the place just like Rob Zombie…and that’s a very high compliment coming from me), Zoe McLellan, Seamus Mulcahy (you will love him) and James McCaffrey. The screenplay, as I briefly talked to Marcus about last night, was perfectly woven and crafted in my opinion. I have zero complaints. I actually chuckled a few times as I saw similar elements, moments and little things both him and I employ in our scripts. That just further solidifies my theory that we were separated from each other at an early age. But seriously, if you get the chance and this movie is showing in your neighborhood, whether you are located here in Ohio, Los Angeles or even New York, do yourself a favor and check it out. If the raw tale can tug on the heartstrings of a horror movie hound like me, think of how it can affect you. Marcus said it best last night, and I seriously need to take his Shakespearian cue, “brevity is the soul of wit.” So with that being said…make sure you don’t pass up an opportunity (like Ashley Judd seemingly does in choosing her roles) to check out One Fall. Again…you can thank me later!
Comments are currently closed.