Pratfall (2024) Film Review
All movies should have a purpose, right? Or at least, they should feel like they have a purpose and that they work towards a story that’s worth telling. Conventional cinema is based on this, and naturally, the kind of movies that aren’t conventional are allowed to drift away from this objective.
I found myself having a hard time trying to see the purpose behind Pratfall. But as the story continued, I realized that perhaps I am mistaken and not all films should have a final purpose. Cinema is also a window towards something that exists deep inside ourselves, and that can only be seen through the lens of artists who dare step into the unknown. Eli and Joelle’s story is one that only exists in the eyes of Alex Andre, a filmmaker that should make us excited for what he will do next.
In Pratfall, New York City serves as the backdrop for Eli and Joelle, two people who are on different paths through the city. He’s an insomniac and paranoid man whose attitude at life and other New Yorkers is anything but kind. His diet consists of hot dogs and cold coffee, and he’s on the way to self-destruction. At least, that’s what it looks like. Joelle is a tourist from France, and her frustration regards something she can’t translate to English.
The camera captures them in Central Park. They meet by coincidence and while Eli disregards Joelle’s presence, she comes along and seeks some companionship in him. This is when Pratfall begins, as Eli tries his best to open himself up to a woman who doesn’t care for her issues, but only wants feedback from the mysterious stranger with crazy theories about the city.
Manhattan is also a good character in the film. The maze-like aspect of the city that never sleeps is disorienting, almost aggressive towards Eli and his inability to cope with the fact that maybe he has found someone who understands him, and his drive to speak his mind regardless of the consequences. The city will also prove to be a ruthless player in the game that Eli can’t predict, and whose only victim is the poor Joelle.
I won’t spoil the movie for you, because without a doubt, it’s the single most powerful moment in the film. That ending in which Eli tries to find an answer for the event he just went through, but also how he reacted to it. Eli comes of age, of character, of everything. Unfortunately, he realizes that his lack of control over his life has affected someone else’s and perhaps tragedy is the only outcome.
Pratfall is a tour de force for actors Chloe Groussard and Joshua Burge. Groussard debuts in the indie version of mumblecore, and she does a pretty good job at being as real as she can be. Her character doesn’t require much, but she excels in providing authenticity to a person who appears to be lost, and not only physically, but emotionally.
And then we have Burge, the actor previously seen in Buzzard. Ten years have passed, and Burge is still an outstanding performer who captures the emotional breakdown of his character without having to speak a word. His physicality is enough for the viewer to understand what’s taking place in Eli’s shattered mind and fragile soul.
