Pratfall review

Pratfall is director/writer Alex Andre’s love letter to Richard Linklater, Woody Allen and New York City. that unravels thanks to a very questionable final act.

The film opens with Eli (Joshua Burge) walking around aimlessly. Every so often he starts yelling as if having an intense conversation with his inner thoughts. Andre isn’t in any rush to do more after establishing Eli’s early morning routine. The dark, melancholy music accompanying these initial scenes gives this opening a more intense, ominous note than it delivers.

With Eli’s introduction done, Andre brings out his other co-lead in Joelle (Chloé Groussard), a French tourist taking in Central Park. Joelle doesn’t seem especially prepared for her trip wandering around in cowboy style boots, an oversized I Love New York t-shirt and not a piece of luggage in sight. Joelle’s wandering sequence is far more enjoyable as Joelle isn’t acting weird and aggressive to passersby in the park. Not even when she encounters the somewhat off Eli.

Immediately leery of this hopelessly cheery tourist, Eli starts tearing her down. Realizing he came off like a jerk, Eli tries to smooth things over with a peace offering — a hot dog and some water. The guy couldn’t even spring for chips?

Andre doesn’t do enough to explain why Joelle would feel drawn to Eli. Not necessarily in a romantic sense, but from a letting this somewhat unhinged dude be her tour guide through New York City. Not explaining much is a running theme in Pratfall. We don’t learn what Eli or Joelle do to make money or much in the way of interesting backstory.

This casual stroll through New York focusing on two strangers who gradually reveal more and more of their lives isn’t a novel concept. When Pratfall is most engaging is when Andre just lets Eli and Joelle chatter on. Eli is a motormouth yammering on about his wealth of knowledge of all things NYC. Joelle is a willing audience of one while every so often gently steering this impromptu no time limit tour to some of her interests.

That typically involves some food spot. Joelle has a voracious appetite and happily consumes whatever Eli wants her to sample next. Andre has some playfulness in their banter as Joelle fails to find any of Eli’s go-to pastries as tasty as some of her favorites back home.

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Andre’s direction takes time to get accustomed to as he brings the camera uncomfortably close to his subjects, with herky jerky movements and abrupt transitions. In some instances, Andre feels present as the voyeur third wheel as he raises the camera up and down as if reacting to something Eli or Joelle said. It’s an interesting approach from Andre, who makes his feature film debut after directing shorts.

The tight proximity of the camera from the actors also makes the glimpses through NYC feel restricted as if watching someone’s vacation video. Andre rarely expands the shot enough to really show off the character of the city whether the hustle and bustle of a restaurant Eli and Joelle visit or offering a better sense that they’re just two people in a city of nearly 10,000.

At an hour and 45 minutes, Pratfall starts to feel long — the result of the film largely being about two strangers leisurely strolling through New York City. Andre does work in a pair of subplots.  Joelle occasionally gets calls from her family back home. It seems clear that she’s withholding some information from Eli, which is a contrast from her typical happy go lucky, loving life demeanor.

Burge and Groussard have a tremendous dynamic. With no need to force a romantic subplot, they’re given the freedom to just focus on a chatterbox and a hungry tourist having an unexpected blast exploring the city. Pratfall doesn’t offer much by way of keeping viewers hooked into some compelling narrative, but Burge and Groussard keep the film watchable for whatever payoff awaits.

Eli has one as well where he’s seemingly harassing park drug dealer, Gio (Xavier Reyes). That would have been better served concluding with Eli’s explanation of his beef with Gio. Instead, Andre takes the subplot down a weird, bizarre path that doesn’t make any sense in the context of the movie.

There was a route Andre could have taken here that could have had far more impact. Going the direction Andre chose just felt like the worst option on multiple levels and severely impacts an ending that could have worked with the two taking separate trains as they go back to their normal lives.

Pratfall mostly works as a carefree chat with two engaging characters. The final act wastes so much of that hard-earned goodwill for a conclusion that it makes Pratfall a hard film to recommend despite its earlier promise.

Rating: 5 out of 10

Photo Credit: Feverland Pictures

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