The Tall Guy (1989)

Nice effects though.

An Exercise In Nonsense

Admirable film.

A Masterpiece!

Released in 1989 this is a "work in progress" movie for both writer Richard Curtis and Director Mel Smith. Both were to move on to much better things! That said there are weak signals of Curtis's talent later to be fully realised in "Four a Weddings and a Funeral", "Notting Hill" and "Love Actually". But a few good lines does not a coherent movie make and the plot is shallow and the characterisation sketchy at best. Jeff Goldblum's Dexter seems bewildered by everything - not least his subservient position to comic superstar Ron Anderson played with believable malevolence by Rowan Atkinson. Emma Thompson, then just 30, looks lovely and shows her developing talent as a comic actress. The best thing in the film by some way.Mel Smith's direction drags a bit and it is only in the very funny mock musical "Elephant" - based improbably on the "Elephant Man" - that the film comes to life. The musical is a chance for Smith to satirise the musical genre of the time with references to Les Miserables and especially to the Lloyd-Webber songbook. A Sarah Brightman lookalike does a number straight out of "Phantom" and it's very funny.The film is quite daring with an explicit sex scene between Thompson and Goldblum that is so energetic that they destroy the former's bedroom, The relationship between the two is a forerunner of Curtis's boy/girl romances in later movies. Always a slip or three between cup and lip! This is not a great film nor even a very good one. It is worth study as an exercise in how Richard Curtis's talent was first applied in a movie rather than television for which he was previously known (especially for Blackadder).

Jeff Goldblum is a fine American actor who works in London, England at a theatre playing straight man to Rowan Atkinson, Britain's Bean and Black Adder. In this comedy written by Richard Curtis, he falls in love with a nurse played by Emma Thompson before she became famous. The film is satisfactory with a great cast like Anna Massey who played her agent and Geraldine James OBE. The film is funny at times with a silly song. There are the awkward sexual moments in the film which is outrageous and out of place at times. I enjoy Rowan Atkinson who plays a British comedian who does his show eight times a week with Goldblum as his second in command. When he gets an unlikely role as the Elephant man, he becomes funny even though the Elephant Man musical is a ridiculous idea. Still, the cast is worth watching.

Jeff Goldblum is well-cast but over-eager playing under-appreciated actor who finally lands a leading role: he's the new star of a musical interpretation of "The Elephant Man" in an offbeat stage revue. Original, if not entirely successful or satisfying British-made comedy hurt mostly by an overabundance of eccentric supporting characters (the main character's tics are enough to take on). Goldblum tries too hard; he's over-committed about being amiable on the screen, and is finally off-putting. Emma Thompson, sweetly cast as Goldblum's love-interest, is surprisingly at home here and ends up stealing the picture. ** from ****

I had never heard of The Tall Guy, and essentially still haven't, until it was shown on television a few years ago at about two o'clock in the morning. I was idly flicking channels and came across a scene with Jeff Goldblum and Rowan Atkinson. Thinking to myself that this was an interesting-looking cast, I stayed with it, and was later also introduced to Emma Thompson, and much to my surprise, extremely small one-line roles for Angus Deayton, Robin Driscoll and Charles Augins.It was fun while it lasted. Rowan Atkinson has some more memorable scenes as a snide, unlikeable character, and Jeff Goldblum is actually quite fascinating in romantic, love-me mode. Considering it was very late at night, I hope I can be forgiven for not regurgitating the plot correctly here, but I seem to remember that Goldblum played a reluctant straight-man to Atkinson in his stage show and decided to step out on his own, which eventually led to him getting the lead role in a musical production of "The Elephant Man". I'm not sure if it was all as corny as that sounds but it was roughly it. It was certainly enough fodder for a few laughs and a few smiles all around. I wouldn't mind viewing this film again while fully awake, but I'm sure it would be just as entertaining. I give this one three stars out of five.