A Long Way Down (2014)

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Blistering performances.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Nick Hornby's 2005 book is one of his best, but 2014's 'A Long Way Down' manages to be a contender for the weakest (or one of them) adaptation of his work.As an adaptation, 'A Long Way Down really does disappoint, lacking the biting humour, wryness, depth, intelligence and pathos of the book. Hornby is not easy to adapt, but this felt very watered down and bland adaptation-wise, with the spirit not being there and the details present but not used to their full potential. As a standalone, 'A Long Way Down' is not an abomination because it does have some things working in its favour but at the same time it has too many flaws to be an underrated gem.Starting with what was good about 'A Long Way Down', the locations and costumes are very well done and the film is beautifully shot. The soundtrack fits very well and is memorable, being careful not to intrude. Of the four stories that the film bases itself around, Maureen's comes off the strongest, it has real poignancy and emotional resonance and the only one to feel believable or genuine. The scenes between her and son are incredibly sweet and moving without being mawkishly over-sentimental. The film gets off to a good start as well, having some degree of tension and didn't feel contrived or manipulative in any way.The cast is a decent one to begin with, and while there are some definite standouts not everybody fares well. The most consistent is Toni Collette, an actress who can elevate any material regardless of its quality. She is helped by the fact that she has the most relatable character and the most genuine of the four stories, but Collette really is affecting here and also quite charming. Martin is a rather erratic character, but Pierce Brosnan's presence still feels very natural. And Sam Neill, while with a small role (too small considering his considerable talent), acts with understated dignity. Not everybody works here. Aaron Paul is certainly not bad at all and displays charm and charisma, however the character is underwritten and is not interesting or well-developed, sometimes almost thankless until the climactic speech. Wasn't sure entirely about Imogen Poots, whose performance like the film will divide audiences. Sometimes she is funny and poignant but at other points she overacts and it grates and makes the character annoying. Lovely Rosamund Pike is sadly completely wasted, with virtually nothing to do in one of 'A Long Way Down's' most forced scenes.Chaumeil's direction really works against them, it's flat as a pancake and at its worst listless as well as never seeming to find the right tone. While there are moments, 'A Long Way Down' never completely works as a comedy or drama. It does feel like it tries too hard to be funny and also too hard to be moving. The funny scenes are very few (there was not enough humour also in the first place), while those few scenes are amusing most are awkward, very forced and even out of place. In terms of the moving scenes, only Maureen's back story evokes emotion, the rest are not fully explored or even neglected (Aaron Paul is especially wronged here) and the characters are not written with enough depth or believability to make me empathise with them, Jess sometimes annoyed me in fact.In terms of the story, there is so much going on and so many shifts in tone that it feels very rushed and jumpy (making the chemistry between the cast suffer as a result), and the tonal shifts really do jar to the point it does confuse in places and the film just feels unfocused and unbalanced. Suicide is a very heavy subject to explore but is almost completely trivialised here, the opening explores it well but the rest of the film feels like a different film and like the opening didn't happen. That said, because not enough is done to make the back-stories and characters interesting the film feels dull too.Overall, didn't hate it, didn't love it. Somewhere in between, but with a strong air of disappointment considering its potential with the source material and cast. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Based on popular author Nick Hornby's novel of the same name, Pascal Chaumeil's adaptation of A Long Way Down is a tonally awkward film that you can't help but feel had more to give had it been more efficiently made, but thanks to a talented acting ensemble, the film overcomes many of its narrative troubles to be an enjoyable and even sometimes touching tale of life and friendship.Setting a film around botched suicide attempts seems like a sure-fire trip into Depressionville but this is absolutely a comedic look at a subject that arguably needed a little more realism attached to it. We have a disgraced TV personality Martin (Brosnan), hardworking mother Maureen (Collette), loud and obnoxious young lady Jess (Poots) and forlorn pizza delivery guy J.J (Paul) who create a rag-tag bunch of people that in real life would not put up with each other for more than a few minutes but here take holidays together and it sets up many awkward moments and musings on life and all its troubles. It's often a very strange scenario and one about as far away from realism as your likely to get but the actors here do some fine work despite Imogen Poot's grating performance and Dario Marianelli's overbearing score.It's always nice to see Pierce Brosnan given something to do and he aces his role as Martin. Martin is a believable character and along with Toni Collette's Maureen he makes for the film's most relatable figures. This is what A Long Way Down needed a little more of to really make it fly, some relatability and persons that feel cut from the real world. Aaron Paul does some nice work also as J.J, a man who's not quite sure why he feels the way he does and that too is something I'm sure people can associate with. It's nice to see Paul succeed here as he has an undeniable presence on screen when given the right material. The films largest annoyance (other than the wasting of Sam Neill and Rosamund Pike in short support turns) is by far Imogen Poots. Her Jess is a tacky and insipid creation that will bring the films mood down consistently in an overplayed and over extenuated role, all loud noises and arrogant remarks, it truly is an annoying thing to witness.A Long Way Down has some nice things to say about life, love and friendship and while it's all told in a very Hollywood light way, the message is still an important one. While not everything here rings true and some situations would've been better suited on the cutting room floor, there is enough here to suggest many will find enjoyment and maybe even some life affirming notions amongst all the goings on.3 step ladders out of 5 For more movie reviews and opinions check into - www.jordanandeddie.wordpress.com

A Long Way Down (2014)There are a lot of films these days that set up this kind of comedy formula: an unlikely crisis forces strangers together, and they don't get along (at first). So you are dazzled by the odd circumstances, and by the funny ways people adjust. The plot then zigs and zags and eventually (of course) some or all of the main characters find their happiness. It's a good approach with the script sparkles and the acting is fun. "Chef" is a recent case, and even better is "We're the Millers.""A Long Way Down" can't match up to those in terms of wit and sheer fun. But it has moments that click, and it has a knock out performance by one of the four leads, Imogen Poots. See it for her alone. Of course the biggest name is the former James Bond player (often voted one of the worst to take on that role), Pierce Brosnan, and he's meant to be a dull, superficial type here, so he comes through naturally. Throw in the ever talented Toni Collette and you have a good cast. (The fourth is Aaron Paul.)The premise starts very fast, and is quite funny. In fact, I got my hopes ups that this was going to be a sizzling, truly great offbeat comedy just by the first ten minutes where it complicates quickly. You see, it's New Year's Eve and one of the four has gotten to the top of a tall London building and plans to jump. Then a second shows up and spoils his plans, and he decides to wait and let her jump so he can have the roof to himself. Then a third. And you see what is beginning to unfold.You get some backstory details that are just enough to make you see their problems— and also see that these are all really sympathetic characters. And of course they shouldn't be suicidal, not for real. There are further ups and downs as they help and then harm each other's emotional progress. And so on.I liked it. And I loved the performance by Poots, who just slashes through the crap and lights up the screen. Is this a brilliant movie—no. It's too much caught in the formula, so even the twists are expected. But I thought it was better than the reviews overall let on… you might give it a go. Expect some light entertainment and you might be quite happy watching.

This film was the most touching one I have seen in a very long time. The ratings just don't do it justice, the story line is amazing and the actors are even better, all the characters were brought to life. Everything that happened made you feel connected to the characters and they won't leave your hearts any time soon. It highlights some of the struggles that many people have to go through in society now and shows what happens when people are thrown into the spotlight. You feel a range of emotions, from being sad to happy, scared to joyous. I really enjoyed this and will be watching it many more times in the future. I would definitely recommend watching this, you'll love it.