Music, especially when it’s as integral to proceedings as it is in Netflix’s new film, Find Me Falling, can elevate even a familiar template. The portrayal of John Allman by real-life singer Harry Connick Jr. ensures that the music brings great joy to the story. While the plot twist might be template-ish, the execution is superb, preventing the film from falling into monotony, even if the turns in the story are obvious.
Director: Stelana Kliris
Cast: Harry Connick Jr, Agni Scott, Ali Fumiko Whitney, Tony Demetriou, Angeliki Philippidou
Streaming on: Netflix
Washed-up musician John Allman seeks solace in a charming cliffside house on the idyllic island of Cyprus. The film’s setting on this tucked-away Greek island makes it all the more interesting, taking you on a virtual visual vacation for 90 minutes. However, it is not the same for Allman, whose escape from reality takes a dark turn when he discovers the house sits on a notorious suicide cliff. While he handles this on one hand, he also has a chance encounter with his past love, rekindling hope for a second chance. But just as Find Me Falling lulls you into a familiar tale of rekindled romance, it throws in an unexpected twist that elevates the film beyond a predictable rom-com. While the narrative eventually treads familiar ground, it does so with surprising depth and emotional resonance.
Beyond just the predictability, there are some other rough edges inFind Me Falling, though. For instance, in the film’s first scene, Allman discovers that his house is a suicide hotspot and suggests to the local police that they build a fence to prevent people from jumping. Instead of giving a reassuring answer, Captain Manoli (Tony Demetriou) smirks and responds, “Build a fence around the whole cliff?” He then casually passes his number to Allman, asking him to notify the police about any potential suicides. Could the sensitivity of suicide have been handled better in this scene?
The most poignant scenes are the intimate, heartfelt conversations between the women. Be it the one-on-one conversation Melina (Ali Fumiko Whitney) has with her grandmother or that moment with both her grandmother and mother, such portions are crucial to the narrative. Many of these scenes are executed in Greek for authenticity—and while it helps retain the film’s essence, you do feel a certain distance from the emotions, when you have to rely on subtitles to understand the nuanced exchanges.
The final act of Find Me Falling takes a familiar detour, oscillating between predictable will-they-won't-they tension and happily-ever-after wish fulfilment. Nevertheless, the film injects a spark of originality with Allman's grand gesture—a self-composed (by Connick Jr.) and performed song.Find Me Falling might belong to the bandwagon of cliche romcoms, but hey, at least it does not fall flat.