Fall Back Down

We are all free spirits of the world, with different endeavors to pursue, missions to complete, and causes to stand-by. Free as we are supposed to be, but sometimes we are locked down by our unfortunate circumstances, held down by life itself. Some tried to set themselves free. Free from their lands in search of a new beginning, in search of means of life, in search of hopes, but end up landing in the wrong hands, and some of them in human trafficking. Today’s feature film surprised me in many ways. It is titled “Fall Back Down” by Sara Beth (SB) Edwards. This feature film steps away from the conventional mode of channeling a more profound message in a movie.

“Fall Back Down” took me to a wild ride of discovery and realization. It was something I wasn’t able to figure out right away and I liked it because it triggered me to think deeply. But aside from how good it is created, the main highlight for me about this movie is its diversity. I have seen thousands of films, and many of them gave focus on diversity as well, but this is the only one that was able to blend the perfect mix and give light to different forms of diversity but still manage to be on the right track of the movie’s core. You see, it featured diversity in beliefs, races, and cultures, a very timely and relevant topic that hasn’t been given much attention with creativity in the past. The movie is centered with Nick, a free-spirited ex-activist/photographer who is also depressed with how things are going with his life including being separated from his equally activist girlfriend. Though Nick stands with a life of freedom and justification. He needs the means to survive, even the free-spirited have bills to pay. So he took a job in a sweatshop factory where he met people like Reena and Adande which awakened the activist in him again.

I had a great time watching this movie. It started with a high adrenaline action scene, with seriously good footage that was sustained throughout. It had introduced me with diverse and interesting characters, from Nick’s sister, their friends, and Nick’s co-workers at the factory who all added flavor and significant meaning to the story. I also enjoyed the music and the infusion of bollywood into one of the scenes. And of course, I had some good laugh at Reena and Nick’s cat and dog quarrel that led them to a murder mystery inside the sweatshop and their unexpected romance. And speaking of their romance, Andrew Dunbar and Aadila Dosani who played Nick and Reena didn’t only did an outstanding job with their performance, but they also kept the chemistry between them burning.

Lastly, director Sara Beth (SB) Edwards did an excellent job crafting this feature, even though she is a first-time filmmaker, her talent, creativity and keen eye in delivering a quality film with a good and relevant story came out naturally. Story and quality wise, this film definitely made an impact on me, and this is highly recommended on my book!