THE PLOT THUS FAR
Four people meet on New Year’s Eve and form a surrogate family to help one another weather the difficulties of their lives.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“A Long Way Down” suffers from what messes up most of the adaptations of Nick Hornby novels. This time, it’s a tale about four people who try to commit suicide, but end up bonding together to form a family. Their shared story sets off a media circus and Brosnan’s character uses it as an excuse to get his perfect media position back. As someone who read the original novel, I was taken aback by the push to force laughs and build romance. Where did all of the nuance go?
I love it when Pierce Brosnan plays smarmy. His character comes the closest to retaining the wit and bite of his dark and morose character. He knows that his sex scandal was his fault, but he doesn’t care. He wanted to die because he got caught and he couldn’t keep doing it. The push to have everyone hit it off and pair off almost feels like a lazy attempt to change the characters. You shouldn’t have to like every character you meet in a movie. Don’t make them bastards, but one’s persona can be complicated and not easily boxed under labels. Also, what’s up with Aaron Paul going on autopilot after leaving Breaking Bad? The guy has talent and we all saw it. I just hope that he can discover it outside of the confines of fictional New Mexico.
The Blu-Ray comes with deleted scenes, featurettes, outtakes and a trailer as the special features. The A/V Quality is strong for a dark drama/comedy. The 1080p transfer shows no sign of digital noise, even during the hazier shots. Plus, the DTS-HD 5.1 track really kicks into gear. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!