Actor Viggo Mortensen makes his directorial debut: The result is a disturbing, sometimes tender father-son drama.
Los Angeles – "The Lord of the Rings" star Viggo Mortensen has often impressed with his sensitivity and intensity in front of the camera. Now he is making a moving, strong debut as a director.
The father-son drama "Falling", in which the 62-year-old also plays a leading role, is heavy, disturbing material. As a director and screenwriter, Mortensen relentlessly demonstrates the effects of dementia and the drama of a broken family. He plays the homosexual pilot John, who lives with his partner Eric and their adopted daughter in Los Angeles. His old, widowed father Willis (Lance Henriksen) can no longer live alone on his farm. John wants to bring him to California, but already on the flight the embittered man is abusive with hate speech. Between explosive scenes that are hard to take, there are also tender moments that are just as close.
Falling, Canada / Great Britain / Denmark 2020, 112 min., FSK from 12, by Viggo Mortensen, with Viggo Mortensen, Lance Henriksen, Laura Linney dpa
