A Long Way Down

A Long Way Down starring Imogen Poots, Toni Collette, Pierce Brosnan, and Aaron Paul is based on the 2005 novel by Nick Hornby. The film follows four lost souls – a disgraced TV presenter (Brosnan), a foul-mouthed teen (Poots), an isolated single mother (Collette) and a solipsistic muso (Paul) who try to end their lives on New Year’s Eve. The foursome all choose the same spot, a London high-rise, to do the deed. There they agree to postpone their plans for six weeks forming an unlikely alliance.

The chemistry between the four actors was a highlight. Whether all four were together in a scene or paired off, they worked well. I especially loved Aaron Paul and Imogen Poots’ scenes together. Their chemistry had me rooting for them from the start. The film being broken into four different parts provided necessary back story for the characters and was well done. This gave the audience a chance to get to know each character and learn how each ended up on that roof New Year’s Eve night.

A Long Way Down is a dynamic film which fans of the actors will certainly enjoy it. Casual movie fans might find it best to wait until it’s available on iTunes/OnDemand/released on DVD to check it out. Some of the themes may be too mature for children under the age of 16.

Grade: B