FALLING OVER BACKWARDS A Film Review Copyright Dragan Antulov 2000
Millennium, whether it was real or just a media hype for those who had missed math classes in school, was good opportunity for many people to ponder about changes in human society in the last 1000 years and also a chance to think about future trends. One of such trends, which might prove to be the most disturbing, is the collapse of traditional family and resulting alienation of individuals in modern industrial societies. Generational gaps are becoming bigger and bigger - modern people are getting alienated from their parents; old people, instead of being treated with respect, are usually shoved into nursing homes. Modern people are also having problems not only with past generations, but with future too. Industrial nations all over the world are having big problems with declining populations - economic conditions and urban way of life discourages people not only from having big families, but also from having children in the first places. Some of the dark prophets of 2000 are already painting pictures of anti-Malthusian nightmare - fewer and fewer people working overtime to feed multitudes in nursing homes, only to realise that nobody would be there to support them when they get old. Those trends might be disturbing, but they could also provide some inspiration for romantic comedies. Interesting example is FALLING OVER BACKWARDS, relatively unknown 1990 Canadian film directed by Mort Ransen and one of my personal favourites.
The protagonist of this film is Mel (played by Saul Rubinek), Jewish schoolteacher who was emotionally devastated with recent divorce. After a while, the lamentations about good old times give him a bizarre idea how to improve his life and overcome loneliness. He not only rents a house in his old neighbourhood, but also brings his old wheelchair-bound father Harvey (played by Paul Soles), out of nursing home. Their life, which is hardly idyllic, gets complicated with the presence of Jackie (played by Julie St- Pierre), their French Canadian landlady who is also young and attractive woman. Tension is caused not only by her strong feminist ideas being opposed to Harvey's traditional worldview, but also with Mel realising that he loves her.
Everyone who makes Top 100 or Top 10 lists of best films ever made must reconcile with the fact that such lists could never objective or accurate. Not only because of subjective criteria, but also because many times really excellent films never get necessary attention. This little film, shot in Canada for a small amount of money with the cast of relative unknowns is one of such examples. FALLING OVER BACKWARDS also shows that Canadian cinema can be superior to Hollywood; romantic comedy, probably the most despised genre among critics today, could be turned into interesting, intelligent and truly touching film without Hollywood big budgets and media hype. Screenwriter and director Mort Ransen does this by creating bizarre yet everyday characters faced with problems and situations most of us could relate to. Humour in this film is provided by unusual, yet believable situations, and all the characters are treated with respect and made likeable despite having serious flaws. The resulting "feelgood" atmosphere never descends into usual Hollywood sappiness, though. Ransen contrasts this feeling by referring to some very dark, disturbing and potential controversial issues in this film - suicide, abortion, domestic violence - but those references never get overbearing or turn into "politically correct" sermons. Instead, Ransen even uses them as a source of occasional laugh or two - something that could be quite unthinkable in films made in overly sensitive USA. Ransen also evades taking the side in the conflict between traditional values and realities of the modern life - the touching finale of the film could be viewed as a victory for the both camps. The use of characters with different ethnic background also lacks any stereotypes, making them more natural than in PC-infested Hollywood.
Atmosphere in the film is provided with simple but good musical score by Milan Kimlycka, where old songs play the role of Greek chorus. Ransen as director didn't experiment - his directorial techniques are as ascetic and everyday as movie locations. However, plain look of this movie doesn't hide the depth of its content. Ransen leaves most of the work to actors, and they use such opportunity to give impressive and memorable roles. Most interesting thing is this movie is a rare opportunity to see Saul Rubinek, one of the most recognisable character actors in Hollywood films, in a lead role. Rubinek obviously enjoyed such opportunity and his Mel is walking the fine balance between comedy and tragedy. Rubinek's partners are also great - Paul Soles very effectively turns his initially grumpy character into the voice of conscience. Julie St-Pierre, on the other hand, manages to evade any bimboish stereotype of her character by confronting her attractive feminine looks with tough, pseudofeminist attitude, thus providing a lot of laughs.
FALLING OVER BACKWARDS, by being film that reconcile good feelings with real life, as well as entertainment with common sense, is a truly precious piece of cinema, small, unknown Canadian film that gives new definition to the term "hidden gem".
RATING: 9/10 (++++)
Review written on January 10th 2000
Dragan Antulov a.k.a. Drax Fido: 2:381/100 E-mail: dragan.antulov@st.tel.hr E-mail: drax@purger.com E-mail: dragan.antulov@altbbs.fido.hr
Filmske recenzije na hrvatskom/Movie Reviews in Croatian http://film.purger.com
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