Continuing a strange trend of summer indie movie releases that are set in the winter comes Pascal Chaumeil’s adaptation of Nick Hornby’s book A Long Way Down.
Much as new releases like “Happy Christmas” and “Obvious Child” are set during the colder months, “A Long Way Down” centers around New Year’s Eve. And as “Obvious Child” dealt with the risqué topic of abortion, “A Long Way Down” focuses on another one, suicide (although with a less controversial outcome).
Just before midnight on New Year’s Eve in London, four strangers with completely different lives bump into each other on the same rooftop, where they all intend to jump to their deaths.
There’s Martin Sharp (Pierce Brosnan), a former TV host who just came out of jail for a relationship with a teenage girl and discovers his life will never be the same again; Maureen (Toni Collette), who has no life outside of caring for her mentally challenged son; Jess Crichton (Imogen Poots), a neglected politician’s daughter and hard partier; and J.J. (Aaron Paul), an American musician turned pizza boy with brain cancer.
Instead of committing suicide that night, the four come together with a pact to stay alive until Valentine’s Day. In the meantime, they end up featured on a local TV station and go on a beach vacation together.
Sam Neill co-stars as Jess’ estranged father, while Rosamund Pike is Martin’s former co-host and Tuppence Middleton is a young girl J.J. meets while out of town with the group.
Assistant director turned main director Chaumeil makes his English-speaking feature debut with “A Long Way Down,” and writer Jack Thorne tries his hand at screenwriting by adapting Hornby’s novel.
Brosnan carries on his post-Bond career with primarily lighthearted romantic comedies and family films, and this flick is no different in tone, although the quality is questionable. Paul is fine as his usual role of “good looking bad boy,” and Aussie-based Collette shows once again she can escape into any nationality and persona on screen. Poots is cute enough and has a charming enough presence, yet is resorted to childish antics and crazy outbursts that render her more immature than charismatic.
The young actress’ onscreen antics aren’t helped much by the corny comic relief, stale dialogue and sappy direction throughout the movie. The film isn’t depressing despite the bleak outlooks of the characters have on their lives, but the filmmakers fail to successfully create a mood that’s romantic or redeeming like “Harold and Maude” or “50/50” did. Rated R.
