Fallen (1998)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Denzel, oh, Denzel! You're so lovely! I first watched this some seven years ago and thought it was kind of nice. Rewatching it now, I realised I really enjoyed the rather clever way it's written - and Denzel's feverish, frustrating desperation.

Homicide detective John Hobbes witnesses the execution of serial killer Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas). Soon after the execution the killings start again, and they are very similar to Reese's style.Roger Ebert gave the film a mixed review, writing "the idea is better than the execution, and... the surprises become too mechanical and inevitable." There is some truth to that. The biggest problem is just how long the film runs. There seems to be plenty of fat that could have been trimmed.It also seems "too neat". This killer (or demon) could be going around, ruining people's lives, but he is obsessed with one cop. And rather than kill the cop or ruin his life, he first decides to drop hints on how to figure out he is a demon and how his power is transferred. Sure, you need some kind of exposition, but it just makes no sense.

To me Fallen was just a lot of puff. After the execution of a serial killer (Koteas-one of my favorite actors, a wild card, again making a meal out of his role) he leaves Detective John Hobbes (Washington) with a line of dire warning, and he's true to his words. After his passing, and a great killer line, a request if you will from Koteas, who was an avid admirer of Hobbs, though of course, not reciprocated, the same style of killings begin again. Now we venture into the world of the supernatural, and the why's as we look for a picture, then another big picture, another reason, then another reason, the story stringing us along successfully, in a want to know, why some New York city folk, strangers are acting creepy, towards Hobbes. And they're not just strangers, they're people in his unit. Hobbes is also seeing things, where the touch of one hand to another reaches Hobbes. Is it Koteas's spirit? The movie really puts too much into it, layer upon layer, as if to explain or keep the plot interesting while progressing the story more, ridiculously defending what we can't buy, every time, where in the end what ensues isn't earth shattering, but just ridiculous, more puff. The performances by all are good, James Gandofini for one, and Penelope Ann Miller, is it, who knows a lot about demons, and the church. She assists Hobbes to try and fight this spirit and properly rid Koteas of the universe for all. Fallen just joins those serial killer films of lower status or misfires, e.g, In Dreams, or the ridiculous Twisted, yet still the story does reel you in, having us wanting to know the truth behind's Hobbes's suffering. You won't suffer much during the film, but there will be some trying moments. Check out Mick Jagger's Time Is On Our Side song accompanied by a shouting and screaming Koteas, as he's led towards his doom.

So, early on in the film we learn that the demon can't possess the body of Hobbes, yet at the end Hobbes kills himself so the demon can't possess his body. They must think their audience have really short memories and it seems many reviewers do, since they thought this movie was "clever" "thought provoking" "suspenseful" etc when a major plot hole like that was was used to hurriedly finish the movie. Stupid = the same ending as other films where the antagonist/ protagonist comes back in another life form (Aliens and Species to name two franchises with such endings).