Agni Scott and Harry Connick Jr star in the romantic comedy Find Me Falling, which is partly based on a true Australian story. Photo: Supplied.
Loosely based on a true story, Find Me Falling is a heart-warming musical tale about second chances – one that you won’t be able to resist as it serenades you to the beat of a Mediterranean escape!
Sure, it has a cliched storyline, but this feel-good romantic comedy is slightly different from the norm. It celebrates initiations and life’s wasted golden opportunities with a basic love story while celebrating a small island’s culture, family and music. This celluloid is a bag full of various endearing tricks.
Although depth is lacking with certain characters, it overcomes hurdles to make for an acceptable watch. There are solid performances from the two leads, and beautiful cinematography by Stephan Metzner (The Call, Committed).
South African-Cypriot writer, director and producer Stelana Kliris (Committed, The Fiddler, Hope) adds inspiration from a real-life story of a generous Australian named Don Ritchie, who would save strangers from their suicide attempts near his clifftop home.
Grammy and Emmy Award-winning American singer, pianist, composer and actor Harry Connick Jr (Hope Floats, Basic, Memphis Belle) plays washed-up musician John Allman, who ventures to a Mediterranean paradise following a failed revival album. Seeking peace and solitude in Cyprus, John gets more than he bargained for when he learns his new beachside abode is a popular suicide destination. He ends up discovering a new purpose and meaningful connections.
Connick describes his character as a “grumpy kind of misanthropic guy who’s depressed and impatient and he decides to just separate himself from society. He’s had enough of his kind-of-dwindling career and rock’n’roll and decides to move to this remote island and get a remote house on a remote cliff on that island.”
Obviously, John can’t stay isolated for long. He becomes friendly with police captain Manoli (Tony Demetriou). A day later, groceries are delivered by a local named Melina (Ali Fumiko, Whitney, The Road Dance, Snow Valley, Cabin Girl), a talented local singer whom he encourages to pursue her dreams of a music career. Melina sings at a pub in town and when John is invited to go there, he runs into an old flame named Sia (Agni Scott, Bridget Jones’s Baby, Persuasion), someone he had met in Cyprus many years ago.
Now their reignited association provides a few surprises. Other dinner guests recognise John and mention his most famous song, which is about falling in love on the beach; although the song was about Sia, he insists it was not inspired by a real person.
As a genre, romantic comedy sometimes gets a bad rap for being not real acting or cheesy, especially within a certain demographic. People might not even give it a chance. According to Kliris, it was the cast who brought to the film a crucial ingredient needed for a perfect rom-com: heart.
“You can have all the bells, whistles and gags that you want, but without real substance, you can’t connect with your star-crossed lovers,” she says. “You also need characters – and the actors who play them – that people will fall in love with. Find Me Falling certainly has both.”
Connick had fun writing two songs and performing them in Find Me Falling. One is the title song, poetic and melodic, and the other is Girl on the Beach, which sounds like one of those early U2 tunes.
The charm of the film, which feels like a vacation, comes from its focus on family dynamics and music. The island of Cyprus, which director Kliris calls home, was given an onscreen spotlight of its own.
“This film is a love letter to Cyprus, and I hope that it transports audiences and gives them a little bit of magical escapism,” Kliris says. “Plus, there was nothing better than walking out on set on a cliff overlooking the endless blue horizon of the Mediterranean Sea.”
You can’t ask for a better view from the office!
This is an affable story about many kinds of love: romantic, family, lifelong dreams and what you’re willing to sacrifice for the people or the things you love.
Find Me Falling, directed by Stelana Kliris, is streaming on Netflix
