A Long Way Down (2014)

The critic finds the film a worthwhile, unconventional alternative to formulaic Valentine’s Day romances, despite pacing issues and a forced happy ending. She singles out its humane portrayal of friendship and affection among four troubled people for praise.

The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It provides no praise or complaint beyond identifying the film.

The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No praise or complaint can be reliably identified from the supplied text.

Pulver finds the adaptation genial and lightweight, retaining much of the novel’s bittersweet tone. He praises Pierce Brosnan’s casting but notes that the rush to a neat ending sacrifices some of the book’s intricacies.

The critic finds the adaptation tonally inconsistent and unconvincing about why its characters should keep living. He singles out Imogen Poots’s abrasive performance as a welcome counterpoint to Aaron Paul’s dull brooding.

Clarke finds the film disappointing, calling it hokey and fake. She singles out the novel’s playful premise as a problem for the adaptation.

Bowen finds the film inept and emotionally hollow, arguing that it reduces suicide to a shallow obstacle in a redemption tale. He faults its loss of Nick Hornby’s humanist delicacy and singles out Imogen Poots’s unvarying mannerisms as an additional weakness.

Matheou finds the adaptation daft and emotionally unconvincing, with its feelgood approach ill-suited to its subject. He praises a few good lines, especially Brosnan’s grumpy observation, but says the humour is mostly broad and forced.

The critic finds the film a depressing, tone-deaf failure that trivialises despair. She particularly faults its simplistic treatment of suicide and its inability to make the story amusing.

The critic finds the adaptation ham-fisted and says it crashes and burns. They single out the film’s failure to find the story’s black humour, with Neil’s brief cameo the exception for comic timing.

Felperin pans the film as a misjudged, increasingly absurd comedy. She singles out Toni Collette’s warmth and awkward grace as the one performance that nearly saves it.

Debruge pans the adaptation as tacky and trivializing, criticizing its treatment of suicide as a source of easy laughs. He singles out the implausible plot and greeting-card platitudes as especially unconvincing.

The URL identifies this as a Berlin review of the specified film, but the page content is blocked. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be determined from the available text.

Ziemba finds the film unsuccessful, criticizing its superficial characters and overly sentimental ending for mishandling depression and suicide. She praises Toni Collette’s performance as Maureen, whom she identifies as the film’s emotional core.

Dibdin finds the film glib, grating, and unsuccessful, faulting its treatment of suicide as a MacGuffin. She praises Toni Collette’s performance, while noting that Aaron Paul’s late speech briefly gives the subject matter needed weight.

Pape finds the film unsuccessful, citing its failure to balance comedy and tragedy. He particularly criticizes the irritating, poorly written characters, which make it difficult to care about their struggles.