There’s a certain type of movie that leans so much on the visuals as to make the viewer wonder if they’re actually watching a movie or if they’ve stumbled into some sort of moving art gallery. These films often feature extravagant cinematography and gorgeous, engaging settings but sometimes lack plots or characters with real substance. Tarsem Singh’s “The Fall”  is arguably one such film.

I had seen this one sitting on the shelf at Blockbuster for quite some time and I was curious; finally the blessed free afternoon arrived when I could actually sit and watch it. The story opens with two invalids stuck in a Los Angeles hospital near the turn of the century. One is an injured and troubled Hollywood stuntman, the other a young immigrant girl with a broken arm. To pass the time the stuntman tells the girl a story he invents on his own, about five fantastical characters each bent on revenge against the aptly-named Governor Odious. Like Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth,” the real meat of the movie is in the fantasy world the protagonist invents. It is truly a fantastical world; here, clearly, Tarsem is in his element, weaving one breathtaking image after another into the story as it progresses. Melodramatic as this may be, “The Fall” is one of the most beautiful movies I’ve ever seen.

I must admit, however, that once the credits started rolling I felt a bit like a worn-out little kid who had been following his parents through a museum exhibit for too long.  While the visual aspect of the movie was astounding, the overall film never entirely pulled me in. As is often the case with these sorts of movies, the plot and characters both seemed somewhat contrived. It’s tempting to theorize that Tarsem just whisked them off the top of his head as a sort of canvas for his artwork, but that’s probably not fair or accurate. While the spectacles and imagery are obviously prominent, it’s hard to gauge whether they overpower the film itself. Even if they might, the “wow” factor in this movie definitely justifies renting it and deciding for yourself. After all, it’s dang pretty.