Enjoyable enough if slightly loopy comedy directed by Pascal Chaumeil, who was 1st AD on Leon and 2nd Unit on The Fifth Element, A Long Way Down is his third big screen directorial outing. The promise of another adaptation of a Nick Hornby novel is to be welcomed, however this is no High Fidelity. The cast is highly watchable and there are nice dynamics between Brosnan, Collette, Poots and Paul - but somehow the script never ignites and the laughs often feel forced. It's not entirely obvious where to point the finger. There are effective dramatic moments, but the lows don't seem quite low enough, whereas the highs feel a bit too easy to come by. In the end the film is perhaps not sure which tone to take, rendering certain character motivations unconvincing. This said, there are still many moments to enjoy, including good turns in support from Rosamund Pike and Sam Neil, but there's a good chance you would be just as happy watching High Fidelity again, seeking out Fever Pitch (not the US version) or, better yet, An Education.
Review of A Long Way Down
