by John Tillyard, Contributing Writer
Wanting to take a break from his dwindling music career, John Allman (Harry Connick Jr) moves to an isolated house on the edge of a cliff in Cyprus. He quickly finds the house isn’t as isolated as he previously thought, when he learns the cliff is a familiar spot for suicide attempts. John’s life on the island only becomes more complicated, with people and moments from his past that may still need to be fully explored brought back, and he quickly discovers that it’s a small world.
The first thing that drew me to Find Me Falling was its setup; John has had a long music career in the public eye and now wants to be alone. But in doing so, he’s making the world feel more alone. He is also faced with the unwanted responsibility of stopping people from taking their own lives. Not exactly the sort of responsibility you want, even if you are interested in talking to people, and even less so when you aren’t. I was also intrigued early on by the idea of a famous person likely loved by thousands, including many who won’t have ever met them, now wanting nothing to do with people.
Being on a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean, John quickly finds that his community is small, where almost everyone seems to know each other. As a result, people are keen to help him with everyday tasks, like shopping, so John asks for his shopping to be delivered. John is now actively looking to avoid talking to people, while also living somewhere that receives unwanted visitors who need to be talked to more than anything. The narrative has a clear “it’s a small world” theme; this is possibly an attempt to explain how many meetings by coincidences or characters crossing paths occur, since many are essential to the plot moving forward.
Another theme is that of faith and believing that you are on this planet to have an impact on others. There is a subtle message that you need people in your life and a feeling that you have positively impacted other people’s lives, and if that isn’t something you have done, you should be worried about dying and what may happen to you in the afterlife. It’s an interestingly different take on a standard message in stories like this: You shouldn’t just be looking to make other people part of your life for the sake of your happiness, but for the sake of their well-being, and that if you aren’t helping others, you aren’t pulling your weight in assisting the human race. In other words, living a life of isolation is selfish; even if you merely ask others to leave you be, it is hard for people not to feel a little rejected when someone is antisocial. John is shown to learn this lesson through a running visual gag of him attempting to put up a fence around his home. There is even a scene where he and another character argue from opposite sides of it. It’s not exactly subtle, but it works.
Although there are no flashbacks, the story explores a lot about John’s past, as he is befriended by the village’s police captain, Manoli (Tony Demetriou), and local singer, Melina (Ali Fumiko Whitney), who attempt to get him to open up and enjoy a bit more of the culture of the island. However, the questions about John’s past heighten when he is reunited with a former lover named Sia (Agni Scott). This unexpected encounter leads to some cliché sequences: former lovers rekindling their love, the conflict between characters that this renewed love leads to, where they ask, “Did anything happen?” and a character walking in on a situation where people insist “It’s not what it looks like.”
The story becomes far more formulaic after John reunites with Sia, as it touches on many typical story beats in romantic and family dramas. Reusing old ideas is fine, but how they are done here isn’t exciting, and many plot points and gags are incredibly predictable.
I admired how the story of these characters’ pasts is told entirely without flashbacks; it helps you feel much more like you are living in the present with the characters, and not getting distracted by past events. Flashback scenes can sometimes go on for so long that you forget what was happening in the present day, and I find it distracting if the characters don’t look noticeably younger. Of course, the lack of flashbacks was possibly just a money-saving decision. Nevertheless, it is effective at the same time.
Aside from a few scenes with John’s agent, the story takes place in Cyprus, and much of it is filmed on location. There are many visually stunning shots of the coastline and beaches with white sand and a beautifully clear, blue sea. Several other sequences explore Cypriot culture, as John tries to adjust to life as a resident rather than a tourist. However, it bugs me that the characters speak English for most of the story, only speaking Geek in scenes John isn’t in. Like many films in exotic locations, this will likely contribute to tourism in the country.
Ultimately, the aim of the experience isn’t to tell a compelling or original story; it’s to make you feel more optimistic about life. The visuals are all aesthetically pleasing; the original songs aim to hit you emotionally, and there are many upbeat and sentimental moments towards the end. However, a lot of the emotion feels trite and melodramatic. The core message here is that a lot of people who act suicidal don’t want to end their lives; they are just lonely or want someone to help them with their problems. They want to feel like the possibility they might end their lives matters, and that someone is willing to talk to them. John learns by the end that he doesn’t need a physical barrier at his house; he needs an emotional one.
The excessive amount of schmaltz in Find Me Falling will be a turnoff for many people, as is the use of run-of-the-mill story beats and moments of forced conflict. While the film features a couple of exciting messages about why allowing people into your life is essential, and that physical barriers aren’t suitable for anyone, there was the potential for a much deeper story that could have got people thinking.
Rating: High Side of It Was Just Okay
Find Me Falling is currently streaming on Netflix
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