Touches You

Overrated and overhyped

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

I suppose this movie was supposed to be funny, but most of the jokes just comes off as awkward and ridiculous. The story felt very bland and boring, so did the characters. Rowan Atkinson is a fantastic actor, yet you barely get to see him in this movie. The other actors were good as well, but there just wasn't anything interesting about their characters.And what was the big point of this movie? Dexter and the nurse getting together? Being successful in his career? Rowan Atkinson's character ending up unhappy? Judging by the sappy music in the end, I suppose it was all of them.Even though I am hugely interested in the story about the Elephant man, not even that part was interesting enough to ever want me to watch this movie again.

Both the good and the bad thing about "The Tall Guy" is that it is a British comedy with an American sense about it. That may mean that it's not terribly appealing to either people who like the British form of comedic style or those that like the American type, but it works surprisingly well! It's an absurd tale of an American actor (Jeff Goldblum) relegated to perform as a second banana for a West End favorite (Rowan Atkinson) in a London theatrical production. His allergies force him to go to the infirmary, but his view of a nurse (Emma Thompson) gets him over his dislike of injections and begins getting weekly shots from her, just to spend a moment of pleasurable pain in her presence. After finally getting a date, and upstaging his fellow thespian, and after getting sacked for it, he then lands the lead role in a new musical, all about the life of John "The Elephant Man" Merrick! But, of course, complications arise.The plot is helped greatly by the performances of unbelievable moments from the musical, and by a very raucous love scene with Goldblum and Thompson, one of the most violently joyous ones I've ever seen in a film! The three leads are all brilliant in their performances, especially Atkinson, who is much more Blackadder here, and not at all Mr. Bean.OK. It might not become your favorite comedy ever, But it's very cute for what it is, and is definitely charming and wonderfully funny.

I really enjoyed this film. I don't understand why some other people don't. I especially enjoyed seeing Rowen Atkinson playing a hateful S.O.B. so completely different than any other role he has performed. Jeff Goldblum and Emma Thompson are great, and there is a love-making scene that is quite funny and sexy (Emma Thompson in the buff!). This film is essentially about the difficult life that struggling actors have to endure, and appeals more to people who are familiar with the stage and the lives of people involved with it. The play that Jeff Goldblum eventually lands a part in, is a hilarious parody of every musical ever produced. I recommend this film to anybody involved in the theater or who enjoys going to a play on occasion.

(POSSIBLE PLOT SPOILER)...as a study of screenwriting, this movie is interesting as a clear prototype for the writer's later successful Four Weddings and a Funeral. Same schlubby hero, same no-nonsense heroine who knows absolutely that This Is The One. Same hero angst messing up the relationship. Same "backdrop of other stuff going on."This movie is obviously a rough cut. The interactions are unbelievable, the backdrop (London Stage shows) are stupid and boring, and the chemistry between stars is Totally Lacking...but it's kind of interesting to study this side by side with Four Weddings and see how the writer matured.