Review of Falling Up (2012) by David H — 13 Sep 2010

I had not really heard of this quiet release before seeing it pop up on my movie channels. I thought Joseph Cross was excellent in "Running With Scissors", and I definitely think Joe Pantoliano is the man, so I decided to give it a shot.

The film has a lot of character, which I liked. I was really able to get into it, and Cross, like he did in "Running With Scissors", really carried the film on his back with grace and expertise.

I really found myself rooting for him, and getting angry at Pantoliano's character for being a hard-ass. The whole cast is wonderful. Sarah Roemer is always great, and Annette O'Toole delivers a very believable role.

I was even okay with Snoop Dogg's performance. The whole of the story is very relatable, even if some of the situations seem far-fetched. I was let down with a couple of things, when certain subplots and characters weren't developed further and just, seemingly, ended, but that in no way took away from the film's experience.

There was one thing that did really bother me, however: At the beginning of the film, Hank, Cross's character, decides to leave nursing school for a paying job. He's talking to the Dean when she asks him to hand her the piece of the female pelvic model representing the rectum.

Awkwardly, Hank hesitantly hands her an ovary, and she says that he should know better. He does get it on the second try. When Hank starts his job as a 5th Avenue doorman, he is thrust into situations where he suddenly needs to perform advanced medical procedures, including administering CPR on a small dog, diagnosing an obstructed airway and even doing a precordial thump on a cardiac arrest victim - something that takes precise timing and aim.

Even the paramedic that arrives on the scene states how impressive that is. Where did all this come from? Hank couldn't distinguish a rectum from an ovary in a model, and now he's performing difficult, advanced life-saving techniques? Kind of unbelievable, but useful to the plot.

Overall, the movie was enjoyable, and it did have this irresistible charm to it, perhaps brought about by Cross and Rachael Leigh Cook. Definitely worth a rental, catch it when you can.