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Falling Down

Rated '18' by the BBFC for some strong violence and language.

Michael Douglas

Version Reviewed- VHS

How many times have you felt like bailing out of a steaming traffic congestion on your way home?  How many times have you felt like pointing an uzi at irritating teenagers in McDonalds who refuse to sell you breakfast because you're five minutes too late?  And most importantly of all, how many times have you felt like completely letting go of all conscience, all discipline, all knowledge of what's right and what's wrong and doing things your way?

If you're anything like me, then the answer will be "almost every week".  And it is for this reason that 'Falling Down' is such a powerful and gripping thriller in which an ordinary guy lets go and embarks on a journey home to his wife and kids (who left him for fear of his violent tendencies) in which let's just say is not your average journey home.

On the way our man is attacked by violent gangsters, survives a drive-by shooting, shoots a couple of people, destroys a shop with a baseball bat over the price of a soda and attacks a cop with a water pistol.  Oh, and he also fires a grenade into a construction zone.  This is one angry guy.

It may sound stupid on paper, but in reality Joel Schumacher's fascinating thriller about a normal, everyday man fighting back is executed to absolute perfection, every aspect appearing completely believable.  And what's more, this film actually means something, rather than being an instant descent into rampaging violence.  Throughout the whole movie you think of Michael Douglas as the 'good guy'- just someone who's fed up with the constant irritations of life, but does he take his anger too far?  From one perspective he might appear as the 'good guy', but from others he is the terrorising baddie, murdering people and pointing weapons at everyone and everything.  Interestingly, the 'good guy' perspective is taken up by the audience, and the 'bad guy' perspective is given to the police (who have their own little sub-plot running through the film, which eventually coincides with the main one).  This goes to show that some thought has been put into 'Falling down', and that it's definitely not just violent trash.

Just like in 'The Terminator' and 'Pitch Black', 'Falling Down' has you cheering on the 'baddie', only in a much different way and is an incredibly thought provoking movie, which grabs the audience and refuses to let go until the final gunshot.  Well worth a purchase, and definitely well worth seeing again.

Rating/5- ****