★★★☆☆British filmmaker James Rouse (best known for his inventive adverts) makes his directorial debut with the lo-fi mockumentary Downhill (2014), the heart-warming tale of four men going through varying stages of mid-life crises as they embark on a coast to coast walk from St. Bees to Robin Hood's Bay. Pitched as "a road movie, on foot", the story focuses upon Gordon (Sightseers' Richard Lumsden) and his son Luke, who has decided to capture his father and his friend's journey as part of a documentary. Luke remains behind the camera for the most part, his father insisting that he mustn't "exist" but instead merely "observe", capturing the antics of this down in the dumps bunch of middle-aged malcontents.
- 6/18/2014
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Most commonly recognisable embodying the more frightening, deranged members of society – it’s refreshing to see the talented Irish actor Ned Dennehy take on something of a lighter role, as he plays Julian in James Rouse’s directorial debut, Downhill.
We spoke to the actor ahead of the film’s release, as he discusses his enjoyment playing such a role, though admits he had hoped it may have been a little more dour than what ended up in the final edit. In a film that explores four old friends reuniting to embark on a coast-to-coast walk, Dennehy tells us whether the film has encouraged him to get in touch with any old friends…
At the beginning, Julian seems like a harmless, charming drunk. But he’s quite a nuanced character, and a fascinating one to get your teeth into?
Yes, I think so. Julian had a lot of speeches and...
We spoke to the actor ahead of the film’s release, as he discusses his enjoyment playing such a role, though admits he had hoped it may have been a little more dour than what ended up in the final edit. In a film that explores four old friends reuniting to embark on a coast-to-coast walk, Dennehy tells us whether the film has encouraged him to get in touch with any old friends…
At the beginning, Julian seems like a harmless, charming drunk. But he’s quite a nuanced character, and a fascinating one to get your teeth into?
Yes, I think so. Julian had a lot of speeches and...
- 5/28/2014
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
As a style of filmmaking that has been severely overcooked in the horror genre, spawning a variety of unoriginal, hackneyed productions, handheld footage has certainly served comedy somewhat more favourably. It simply has so much scope to it in such a department, provoking realism and encouraging improvisation. With the likes of This Is Spinal Tap illuminating the sub-genre, and The Office and The Thick of It also triumphing on the smaller screen, James Rouse has followed on in their footsteps with his amiable debut production, Downhill.
The film explores four old school friends and now middle-aged men, reuniting to embark on a coast to coast walk. Gordon (Richard Lumsden) is the ringleader, bringing together Keith (Karl Theobald), Steve (Jeremy Swift) and Julian (Ned Dennehy) for this arduous, yet enlightening adventure, while his young son documents the entire journey on film.
Where Downhill truly shines, is within the naturalistic approach taken,...
The film explores four old school friends and now middle-aged men, reuniting to embark on a coast to coast walk. Gordon (Richard Lumsden) is the ringleader, bringing together Keith (Karl Theobald), Steve (Jeremy Swift) and Julian (Ned Dennehy) for this arduous, yet enlightening adventure, while his young son documents the entire journey on film.
Where Downhill truly shines, is within the naturalistic approach taken,...
- 5/27/2014
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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