Review: Falling Down

At the time of release, I regarded this as a highlight of Douglas' career.  Douglas' D-Fens was a man fighting back against the man and the system in all its various forms. It was hard not to root for him.

Twenty plus years on, and the character is more problematic. He's still a crusader, but also xenophobic, has anger control issues and is a harasser of his estranged wife.  Nowadays, I think he'd probably be a member of the alt-right. Douglas' portrayal, however, remains a sympathetic one and in trying to reason with an unreasonable world, often brings a humour to the part before exploding into abject anger.

The film itself is probably a little rambling for modern tastes although it does feel like an authentic if limited foreshadowing of acclaimed TV series like The Wire.

Verdict: Suspenseful commentary on a slice of 90s life.