The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain

Starring: Hugh Grant, Colm Meaney, Tara Fitzgerald
Directed by: Christopher Monger
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Box Office: $10,904,930
1995

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A man (Hugh Grant) comes to a small Wales town and, after measuring their "mountain," discovers it is too small to be classified as such, and declares it to be a hill. The town is outraged because they take great pride in their mountain, and all come together to try and figure out how to add a few extra feet onto their "hill."

Review:

Tim: I have been pretty excited about seeing this movie for some time. I don't know exactly what I thought looked so good about it. It just seemed like a charming little film. And, with a title like "The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain," it almost screams to be viewed at least once.

That being said, in reality, the film was pretty disappointing. It is supposed to be a comedy, but I cannot recall laughing a single time. The film might be quaint and somewhat entertaining, but it is not funny in the least. This is quite a letdown. The film is much closer to being a drama, simply because although its supposed to be funny, the whole film comes across as a little too serious.

The cast is also pretty disappointing. Hugh Grant can definitely give some amazing performances, as he's proven with films like Notting Hill and Two Weeks Notice. However, here, he just flat out isn't very good. He just doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the film. On the opposite side of the spectrum, however, Colm Meaney is excellent in his role. Tara Fitzgerald isn't even really worth mentioning, because she so little impacts the film at all. The "romance" in the film is absurd and uninteresting.

The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain is definitely not your average comedy film. It does have a great storyline and I still love the idea for the movie, but the end result is somewhat lacking. And, hey, if for no other reason, watch the film because the title is great. I love telling people, "I just watched The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain!" Try it, you will impress your friends.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Notting Hill, Two Weeks Notice, Mickey Blue Eyes, Bridget Jones' s Diary, Waking Ned Devine