John Allman, the faded rock star portrayed by Harry Connick Jr., has found what seems like the perfect place to spend his remaining days. Or so it seems, as “Find Me Falling”, the charming romantic comedy by Cypriot director Stelana Kliris, gradually reveals that appearances can be deceiving and the price of their false comforts is high. As the writer-director quickly makes clear, Allman has a history with that Mediterranean paradise, and a committed Connick Jr. has the ability to elicit from the audience a sympathy that quickly turns into empathy, solidarity, and affection, eventually leading to unabashed rooting for his character to find the peace that isolation on the beautiful island of Cyprus cannot provide. To achieve this, he must navigate his past and come to terms with two women from his past, and like the Greek tragedies that unfolded not far from there — albeit with a twist — fate is not shy about siding with those who deserve it.
We are constantly challenged to find reasons to reinforce our belief in life, ignoring the despondency that hardens and paralyzes; combating the melancholy that, in improper doses, turns the clear sky of healthy reflection into the murky swamp of ubiquitous and immanent doubt about anyone and anything; overcoming what tempts us to give up on the dream of brighter days and cheerier people, the most elemental and most intricate ideal one can aspire to.
In a single motion, living becomes a cornucopia of lights and shadows that attract and repel each other, and are equivalent; sudden, nauseating ups and downs, like a macabre ride; entrances and exits of claustrophobic mazes that become narrower as we confront our human limitations, sharpening the impression that the human spirit indeed has room for all dreams, but also harbors many of the crusts that defile the world beyond the vain philosophy of this lowly plane.
Allman is no different. Turning on the radio and hearing “Girl on the Beach”, the song that brought him recognition and fortune so many years ago, gives him little more than the certainty that youth is just a yellowed picture on a wall with peeling paint. Now, he is nearly sixty, unknowingly living in the house on the cliff where those who give up on life go, and through this subtle yet uncomfortable metaphor, Kliris reaches the heart of her anti-hero, whose daughter he never knew now lives next door. In the role of Melina, Ali Fumiko Whitney responds well to the veteran’s cues, and the scenes in which she sings with Connick Jr. are, contrary to what they might have been, good dramatic breaths in an almost melancholic script. In “Find Me Falling”, one must pay close attention to the details.
Film: Find Me Falling
Director: Stelana Kliris
Year: 2024
Genres: Comedy/Romance
Rating: 8/10