A Long Way Down

Actually quite a sweet little movie. Don't kill yourself, somewhere someone cares.

If you have read the novel by Nick Hornby, you will recognize the same ironic mood in the picture, where making fool of ourselves and of our small/big tragedies seems to be the only way to go on and not down. The comic hilarious side and the more dramatic one blend together without ever clashing and it is impossible not to identify oneself with the contrasting and sometimes simultaneous tendency of the characters to get depressed and to smile at life at the same time. I enjoyed the performance of all the group, especially Toni Colette who is always able to interpret her characters with such authenticity. And if you have not read the book, the movie may offer an occasion also to you to spend some enjoyable time.

I went to the movie with no idea what I was about to see. Genuinely had no idea about the plot and had no expectations at all.

Given the above I loved it. While it was entertaining and had that specific British humor which I find nice, it also had some powerful moments.

At the end it made me think about the kind of problems people face in their lives without making me sad like most of the movies that cover similar topics. I'm glad I went to it. Well spent money.

I would advice the audience to just see it like I did - without even checking the plot and the actors. Not knowing what it's all about made the experience a bit better in my opinion.

Before you see this, clear your mind of the negative hype. I went in to the film wanting to judge it for myself, and I have to say I had an enjoyable enough time. Its length is perfect, and I like how it tells the story. Just don't expect a realistic tale and you should have a good time. I liked how they didn't sugarcoat the actions of a character. I found Aaron Paul's character, J.J, to be very easy to relate to. In my opinion, they got a lot of things right with the topic of depression, and the comedy wasn't done offensively. It's not a light topic, but A Long Way Down shows just how many different reasons people have to be suicidal, some with no real reason at all.

Pierce Brosnan stars with Toni Collette, Imogen Poots, and Aaron Paul in "A Long Way Down" from 2014.

Brosnan plays a television celebrity, Martin, who was in prison for taking up with a woman who turned out to be a girl and not 25 as he thought. He was left with nothing, no career and no family.

On New Year's Eve, he goes to a tall building, a well-known suicide place, to jump. While he's struggling with his decision to make the leap, he realizes he's not alone. Maureen (Collette) is waiting for him to finish so she can take her turn. Two other people, Jess (Poots) and JJ (Paul) show up. Popular place, popular time of year to kill oneself.

Rather than do that, the four of them decide to support one another in what they're going through. When discussing when the next big suicide day is, they decide it's probably Valentine's Day.

Martin wants to kill himself for obvious reasons, Maureen has a physically challenged son and she thinks if she kills herself, he will get better care. JJ says he has cancer. Jess has been rejected by her boyfriend.

This is a funny, warm, uplifting comedy/drama. The acting is wonderful. It was so great to see Aaron Paul again after "Breaking Bad." Imogen Poots, the fragile Jess, is gorgeous and gives a poignant performance. As an added treat, her father is played by Sam Neill. Toni Collette is always good, and her scenes with her son were especially sweet. The scene at the hospital was very touching.

You care about the characters finding their way. Highly recommended. The power of love - hard to beat it as a theme.