-Written by Kyle Bain.
2024 RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
By chance Emily (Alexandra Dowling) and Ian (Chris Fulton) meet over a weekend of fun. They both struggle with accepting who and what they are, but have found that the other compliments them well. The two must learn how to face the harsh realities of the world, come to terms with themselves, and determine whether or not everything is Falling Into Place the way that it should.
In a simple exploration of life, love, and grief, Falling Into Place attempts to play out in an organic and truthful fashion–so that viewers can latch onto the story and the characters, potentially seeing bits of themselves and their lives within the film. I believe that Falling Into Place is successful in this venture–something that many films of this nature struggle with. Through my cinematic journey I’ve found that romantic comedies and dramas tend to step over the line, they often explore pieces of humanity that are either incredibly niche or so far-fetched that it becomes impossible to suspend disbelief. Falling Into Place reels it in from the opening moments, and expresses to viewers a story incredibly simple, and as a result perfectly believable.
The simplicity of Falling Into Place is the key to its success, and even in moments that were lost on me, I was able to come back to this idea–accepting the film at its core.
There’s an intense darkness that transcends the majority of the film, but it plays a role slightly different than what one might initially expect. Darkness of this kind, darkness that fills nearly the entire screen at times, typically expresses to the viewer that something bad is coming–but not in the case of Falling Into Place. Writer-Director Aylin Tezel uses this darkness to elaborate on both Emily and Ian’s character–to tell viewers that there is a darkness within each of the characters that has managed to consume them–hence the darkness often surrounding them. Again, this conforms to the idea of simplicity, but with a twist, with a metaphorical shift using darkness as the compass through Falling Into Place.
Falling Into Place is ultimately a film full of broken people. They each exist in different places, and the roles they play are certainly different from one another–but they are broken nonetheless. Falling Into Place becomes a tear jerker as a result. Every character has their own arc, and each one of them has a moment or two (sometimes even more) in which viewers are drawn so close to tears. Their pain, like the rest of the film, is honest, and that makes it difficult for viewers to stomach. That aforementioned darkness plays a role in bringing these scenes to life–but so do the somber, but powerful tones that emanate from the screen. They are deafening, as they heighten every debilitating moment to astounding levels.
Touching doesn’t even begin to describe Falling Into Place, as it’s one of the most powerful dramas that I’ve seen in some time. It manages to tug at every heartstring, evoke every emotion, and simply become increasingly powerful and relevant as it progresses. Beautiful in every way, and equally heartbreaking and painful, Falling Into Place is film at its finest–a brilliant venture into the human psyche.
Written & Directed by Aylin Tezel.
Starring Aylin Tezel, Chris Fulton, Alexandra Dowling, Layo Akinlude, Rory Fleck Byrne, Samuel Anderson, etc.
9/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW
