A Long Way Down

A LONG WAY DOWN

Director : Pascal Chaumeil

Year : 2014

Genre : Comedy

Rating : ****

Based on the popular Nick Hornby novel of the same name, 'A Long Way Down' is a dark comedy that explores the ideas of suicide, depression and guilt in a funny but emotionally driven fashion. Starring Pierce Brosnan, Aaron Paul, Toni Collete and Imogen Poots, 'A Long Way Down' tells the story of four people who form a close bond after they try to commit suicide together on New Years Eve night. Directed by French filmaker Pascal Chaumeil, the film switches time and location while we take the time to explore each and every one of the main characters psyches and motivations and thanks to Jack Thornes evocative screenplay, 'A Long Way Down' is a lot more involving and surprisingly moving than many recent British comedies. Funny, heartbreaking and intrinsically human, 'A Long Way Down' is a light hearted but sincere look at a subject matter widely considered to be one of the least unfunny subject matters possible. 

Pierce Brosnan plays Martin Harris, a once popular TV show host whose career was destroyed when the news broke that he had a sexual relationship with an underage girl. With his reputation in tatters and his family torn apart, Harris loses all hope and decides to take the easy way out. Climbing to the top of a tall skyscraper on New Years Eve night, Martin prepares to jump from the tower and end his miserable life. However as he prepares to end his life, he hears the metal door open behind him and a lowly woman (Collete) walks out. As the evening goes on, two more people walk out onto the roof and after unanimously decide not to kill themselves, they form a signed pact not to end their lives before Valentines Day. 

Director Pascal Chaumeil may not be a filmmaker of great repute in the English speaking cinematic world but I do hope that after the release of 'A Long Way Down' this will change as his directorial style, while relatively basic is perfect for the sincere tone of the movie and the intimate emotions that are felt by the main characters. The cast unanimously do a fantastic job and each actor brings a gravity and realism to their performances. Pierce Brosnan is incredibly watchable as the proud but depressed Martin, the always wonderful Toni Collete is unbelievably moving and powerful as Maureen whose motivation for suicide is much more layered and emotionally driven than the rest of the group, Aaron Paul is great as a man who has lost all hope in life and the ever sublime Imogen Poots is note for note perfect as the spurned rambunctious daughter of a politician.

While it's story may lose it's way when the characters suddenly embark on a spontaneous holiday to Menorca and the secondary characters certainly aren't as developed or as nuanced as the central protagonists, 'A Long Way Down' is still an immensely entertaining and sometimes beautiful picture that is elevated by it's wonderful performances. Concluding on a note resembling the best of Richard Curtis, 'A Long Way Down' is the best British comedy since 'About Time' and I hope that it manages to hold it's own at the box office as sequels and big budget blockbusters begin to flood the cinemas this Spring.