Although billed as a 'thriller' on IMDb, THE FALL BEFORE PARADISE can better be described as a quirky and original supernatural drama, which, to its credit, does not take itself too seriously all the time. Following a screening at the Dances With Films fest, helmer Steve Gillilan revealed that the film was inspired by his own struggle with mental instability after living in L.A. for a relatively short period (the F. Scott Fitzgerald syndrome). But instead of making one of those pompous indie LA-bashing crack-up movies, Gillilan moved the setting to Baltimore, added a supernatural spin and created something a bit different.
The story focuses upon MAX, (played by Devere Jehl in a multi-dimensional performance), who is an introverted, tormented mental patient locked in an asylum struggling with visions of an abducted/abused child he must save in the outside world. But in order to do so, he needs the help of his overbearing, psychotic girlfriend Maddie (Sabrina Gennarino) to escape the asylum and help him make sense of his disjointed visions. The pairing of these two incompatible characters provides some much-needed comic punch when the story gets a bit heavy around the molestation-related scenes. It's evident that Maddie's over-the-top character may have been an afterthought (although probably a good one) to bump up the pace of the film.
Thus arises my greatest criticism. This movie could have been an excellent thriller or drama or maybe even comedy (although this would take some serious reworking) if the director had exclusively committed to any one of these three genres. Instead, the filmmaker juxtaposed elements of all three, resulting in a sometimes poignant, sometimes funny, sometimes thrilling story. But the result of Gillilan's brew is, surprisingly, a solid, well-executed film which holds up to movies made by more experienced directors with much larger budgets. The film's success is much owed to its creators' genuine dedication and love of the film itself.
8/10
