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Falling Down

This is another of many films that didn’t live up to its potential. I enjoyed it, but I felt it could’ve been better.

• Structure/Plot, Character

The movie starts with D-Fens (Michael Douglas) losing his cool in traffic. From there, his story is merely a series of repetitive episodes- D-Fens losing it against a convenience store owner, a few punks, a fast-food manager, etc. The character does not develop nor do we learn anything about him through these episodes.

What moves the story forward is Robert Duvall’s cop character, Pendegrass, and thus the movie is more of a crime-solver than an insight into D-Fens’s condition. Furthermore, Pendegrass is in the supporting role so it doesn’t make sense for him to be the catalyst of the film. (Even though he’s a mirror to D-Fens since he has pressure from his wife yet does not resort to violence.)

This movie would work better in one of two ways. One, if Pendegrass is made the clear, main character. The movie would then have a better flow and sharper focus. Two, keep the focus on D-Fens, but don’t have him snap every fifteen minutes like a commercial break during a TV movie. His frustrations should mount without resolvement throughout the film. This way, when he gets to his ex-wife’s house at the end, it’s a real question as to whether he’ll unleash his anger on her or control himself. The way the movie is now, it’s no doubt that a guy who snaps as easily as him is looking to do harm.

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