Directed by: Pascal Chaumeil.Starring: Aaron Paul, Imogen Poots, Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette.
A Long Way Day, follows four strangers as they meet on New Year's Eve in an attempt to commit suicide.
Whilst I thought the film was very lovely, there was something quite wrong. The film somewhat sugar-coated the whole suicide thing and made it seem like it wasn't really as much of an issue as it is in reality. To an extent I do think that turning suicide into a happy and comedic thing can help in movies however this movie kind of seemed to skip any depth into the subject whatsoever. I guess in the case the film was mostly about the relationship between the four strangers rather than actual suicide but the film had a platform and an audience and I don't think they used the opportunity to it's full advantage.
The story itself was very heart-warming. I enjoyed the dynamic that was created with the characters and how each had their own little story. It was nice to watch each others lives entwine and see them become a kind of dysfunctional family. I think the film could've, again, taken a more real route as the story at times seemed mildly unrealistic - such as when they became minor celebrities - this could've added a lot more depth to the film as it was very on-the-surface and played safe.
The cast played their characters excellently. I've never read the novel so I can't compare but they each brought their own unique quirks to the screen. I think Paul and Poots gave the best performances and added a lot of energy to the film.
Cinematography and the soundtrack were definitely what stood out to me. There's one scene where Paul is in the ocean and the shot pans out until you can barely see him. I think that was a moment that pretty much captured the whole essence of the film and what it feels like to be suicidal, it was very beautiful. The colours used were also quite soft and delicate which again, I feel like represented the whole feeling of the film and the characters.
Overall, A Long Way Down was a well executed film. The script was witty and the characters were very loveable. The story had a lot of wasted potential but it still wasn't bad at all/ I would definitely recommend this film and I think it's a great family watch also.
