11/02/2014 - The adaptation of A Long Way Down by English writer Nick Hornby was presented in its global premiere at the Berlinale in the Special Berlinale section

English writer Nick Hornby has a long and fruitful relationship with cinema: three of his bestsellers have successfully been adapted to film (Fever Pitch, High Fidelity, and About a Boy). The fourth adaptation, A Long Way Down by Pascal Chaumeil, has just been presented in the Special Berlinale section as part of the Berlin International Film Festival.  

The French director chose to use the same bittersweet tone that marked his success in The Heartbreaker [+see also:
trailer
making of
film profile] (2010) and in A Perfect Plan [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2012).

It is new year’s eve and Martin (Irish Pierce Brosnam), a former television presenter who has lost everything because of a sex scandal, has decided to throw it all in and jump from one of London’s skyscrapers. The location is a popular one: three other aspiring suicide-committers have gathered in the same location — Jess (British Imogen Poots), the daughter of a famous politician who has just been dumped by her boyfriend, Maureen (Toni Collette), a mother whose son is disabled and JJ (Aaron Paul), a failed rock musician.

After initial talks and the saving in extremis of Jess, the paradoxical situation brings the foursome to reach a pact: they will have to stay alive until Saint Valentine’s day.

Jess and Martin’s fame will draw media attention however and the four decide to go to Tenerife, where they hope to hide for a while.  

Jack Thorne’s screenplay, built in compact but unequal blocks, fails to explore the strange nature of the relationships between four very different people who have decided to spend time together. Feelings and uncomfortable moments are spoken rather than felt. Silences come across as empty. The four may have good reasons to not want to be alive, but the narrative structure, infused with good feelings and constantly reassuring its audience that nothing bad will happen, makes the various stories difficult to relate to.

Ben Davis’ photography is probably the best part of the film, with an elegant palette of warm and brilliant colours, which illuminate spaces and gives a much-needed touch of dynamism to the group of actors, out of which shines Collette.

Produced by Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey for British Wildgaze Films in co-production with German DCM Productions and support from BBC Films and Film4, A Long Way Down will be distributed by Lionsgate in the UK, while international sales will be taken care of by Hanway Films.