Everett (Mike Greca) and Murphy (Michael Mulhearn) are park rangers, struggling through the winter. They each possess a bad habit or two that may be detrimental to their careers and their lives, and as they contemplate the dark reality in which they exist, those habits will prove to be difficult to curb. The Fall Line depicts the two rangers struggling with one another and with themselves, and as tensions rise all that they know and love will hang in the balance.
There is tension present from the opening moments, and that tension is ever present throughout the course of The Fall Line. It becomes instantly clear that the anxiety present is caused by the sound of the creek just out of frame. The creek is so loud that it manages to, to a degree, drown out both Greca and Mulhearn, presenting viewers with the realization that even in nature, as things move along casually, these two face struggles. As mentioned, sound plays a significant role in the tone and mood of The Fall Line. As the film continues, the crackling fire in the background plays a similar role to the aforementioned creek as it, from time to time, overshadows the dialogue and the film’s protagonists. The overarching theme of sound guides the film and entertains viewers.
Maryann Lonergan’s The Fall Line is filmed so incredibly well. Those previously mentioned aspects, the running water and crackling fire, work far beyond sound. The creek and the fire either remain just out of sight or in the background throughout the entirety of The Fall Line, conveying to viewers that no matter the situation, both Everett and Murphy’s issues linger, refusing to submit. The psychological component present in this film is massive and comparable to Hollywood greats. While Lonergan is subtle in her approach toward her mindgames, her narrative is clear, and it resonates with viewers.
I both love and hate the conclusion of The Fall Line. I love the ambiguity and the fact that the film is left open ended, leaving viewers to come to conclusions on their own. The reason I hate the ending...well, I hate the feeling of not knowing or being unsure of something. This isn’t a shot at Lonergan’s film, however, it’s more, rather, a shot at myself. Lonergan is early in the game of filmmaking, but she clearly possesses the knowledge of how to antagonize her audience, and that’s exactly what she does here. I don’t believe that there is any other way that The Fall Line can come to a close. Perfectly wrapping up the psychological drama by expressing each and every detail may make the film feel too cookie cutter, and unrealistic (and potentially even overcrowded)--proving that writer-director Lonergan knows exactly what she’s doing.
Every aspect of The Fall Line converges to create something brilliant. The sounds, cinematography, and the standoffish (even cranky) characters, play a role in creeping into the minds of viewers. Greca and Mulhearn are superb in their respective roles and in assisting bringing this vision to life. A cohesive story of the psychological kind enthralls viewers from the opening seconds and refuses to let them go for the duration, doing exactly what Lonergan had hoped. I’m impressed by what a newcomer to directing is able to accomplish with The Fall Line, and I honestly believe that Lonergan’s future is bright.
Written & Directed by Maryann Lonergan.
Starring Mike Greca, Michael Mulhearn, & Josh Anthony.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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