When a Man Falls in the Forest

The original title of this bleak film - WHEN A MAN FALLS IN THE FOREST - was inexplicably shortened to the nebulous WHEN A MAN FALLS for the release of the DVD: had the original title been retained, the audience may have been given a clue as to the intended message of the story. This is the second film for 26-year old writer/director Ryan Eslinger and it does suggest that he wants to deal with some existential material, but he has a way to grow into how to make it happen.

The lives of three men and a woman are interconnected in the all too common shallow 'relationships' that are a major problem in how our society is working. Bill (Dylan Baker) is a night janitor in a large company, a man who shuts out the boring world with his earphones connected to the great opera classics: he avoids people including those who saunter past him and those whose chaotic lives in the next door apartment distress him. Gary Fields (Timothy Hutton) is a down and out professional man who works in the building that Bill nocturnally keeps tidy, the two 'old high school acquaintances' meeting only because Gary has taken to sleeping in the office. Gary's wife Karen (Sharon Stone, without makeup and looking spent and used) has lost all feeling for living, detests Gary, and finds her only joy is in shoplifting. Gary has shut himself off from old friends for reasons that seem to be related to an accident that involved is best friend Travis (Pruitt Taylor Vince), a man at odds with his own environment. The only apparent connection here is that, once Gary discovers that Bill is a night janitor, Gary and Travis feel guilty that their response to Bill in high school had been one of cruel ridicule. Each of the four main characters wanders aimlessly through a world that has become strange and vindictive and it is only a bizarre incident that throws the quartet into some semblance of meaning. Each person has fallen, but since they are in the midst of a lonely 'forest', has anyone noticed or cared? This could be a study in personal tragedy were it done better, but despite the fine credentials of the actors, the script is so full of holes that character development suffers and what results is not unlike watching an injured bull struggling around a bullfight ring as the crowd attends to the matador et al. Sadly we just don't care about these damaged people, making connection with the film next to impossible. Maybe next film...Grady Harp

I don't think young people will appreciate this movie

though us older folk will understand the doldrums middle age can fall into this movie does that state justice with a good example of that proverb "be careful of what you wish for"

Sharon is not the total beauty you are used to but not hard on the eyes either ... Tim does a bit of a supposed spontaneous phone call that is a bit on the too good to be spontaneous side but doesn't detract from the essence of the theme and growth of the storyline.

to anyone who understands this state of depression and disillusion some aspects are a bit obvious but the story still does its job as a tear jerker of sorts.

I enjoyed this movie a lot. The opening scenes, focusing on shots of electrical leads unravelling, an alienated janitor, moving his hoover back & forth, show that this is the kinda of film which you may have to suspend judgement a little over what is happening and where it might be heading and perhaps look a little deeper at the symbolism. Inter-twining lives are not of course new but those of the three male leads, Bill, Gary & Travis & that of Karen are not so much connected by events but more by how they are dealing, or not dealing with, their various personal dilemmas & tragedies or just their own approaches to their lives. Beautifully shot, well acted & directed, this film has more than an air of surrealism & may be open to more interpretation of the dreams & realities & possibilities than perhaps you might think at first. Recommended.

This movie is a complete waste of time. I have watched it and could not tell you what it was about. The cover of the movie is pure deception, it leads you to believe that it is a sit on the edge of your seat movie NOT. If you want to feel really depressed go ahead and watch it but leave the pills in the bathroom. 90 minutes of my life felt like a lifetime of head in bucket full of snakes.Sorry but just did not get it at all.Wanted a movie with some feel to it , all I felt was pain. I kept telling myself it will get better, but alas it never did. The only thing that saved the movie for me was that it finally ended. I was holding on looking for that spark that would tell You did not waste your money but that never happened.

This film is a dramatic look at the lives and relationships (or lack of relationships) of the four main characters. It is a thought provoking look into what can happen when we allow ourselves to dwell within our personal misery to the point that we can no longer connect to those around us. The acting, writing, cinematography and direction are excellent, and the film is riddled with beautifully captured moments of life to which so many people can relate. If you are looking for a shallow sexy thriller, see Basic Instinct or Sliver. But if you are someone who appreciates the simplistic intricacies of what makes up the soul of a person...this movie is an excellent choice for you. It is a mature film that doesn't lay the emphasis on effects and the usual circus but on the subtleties and realities of people standing in the middle of their lives.