User reviews

Richard Curtis has written some impressive romantic comedies (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones, Love Actually) and had his hand in the writing of some of the top British TV comedy of our time (Mr Bean, Not the 9 O'Clock news, Blackadder). This was one of his first scripts to be turned into a feature film.

He wrote this script about his own experience playing straight man to Rowan Atkinson on his early tours. Curtis was frustrated in real life with being under the shadow of Atkinson, but the script obviously makes a caricature out of this by turning Atkinson into a terrible, nasty villain. But, Rowan fans beware, this is not as fun as it sounds. The unkindest touch of all was added by Rowan himself. He makes himself appear completely unfunny. He plays his backstage self without a touch of humour or subversion - one would almost swear that Rowan just really was a nasty bast*rd.

But anyone who's seen Rowan's stage shows, or Not the 9 O'Clock News, knows that Rowan can play a bastard with ironic humour, where we know he's only kidding - on stage, Rowan specialised in bastards like the vicars and schoolmasters he's played, and nobodies like Mr Bean. Here, Rowan knew it was important for the story for Rowan to not actually be funny, and the straight man to actually be funny. Plus, we need to root for the straight man (played by Jeff Golblum). Rowan's being a villain is the story's main source of conflict and dramatic tension. Without it, there isn't a story. So Rowan has, ironically, done a brave and humble thing by agreeing to play it completely straight, humourless and cold - and he shows himself a really good dramatic actor (though the experience may be disheartening for Rowan fans).

So if you're a Rowan fan, this will not be for you. If you're a Richard Curtis fan, this is a fairly simple and conventional script, but its quite a fun romantic comedy nonetheless. Emma Thomson is suitably cold and severe, and Jeff Golblum makes a good everyman. 6/10.

I think this comedy express well the British humor,it's soft,lovely and never rude.Jeff Goldblum ,is Dexter King,an American actor who survives with many problems in London playing in minor roles ,his life is everything but brilliant until he meets a nurse and falls in love with her..Goldblum is really good in this role and can express really well his comic side and once again shows to be a complete actor able to play different roles. Some scenes of the movie are very nice like when he's fired by the unbearable star of the theatre (Rowan Atkinson before being Mr.Bean) or when he asks about his look to a blind man.Emma Thompson is also good but nothing new..we're used to seeing her always perfect ! Even the rest of the cast is good,from the weird Dexter's landlady to the wise blind man..maybe it's not a film you'll never forget but some fun is sure!

Dexter King (Jeff Goldblum) is the oddball sidekick to domineering comedian Ron Anderson (Rowan Atkinson) in a long running two-men play. His landlady Carmen is a sex maniac. He has a bout of hay fever and falls for nurse Kate (Emma Thompson).

Jeff Goldblum is very broad in this shy awkward oddball character. It doesn't really work. I don't buy him and he's not necessarily funny. It's super quirky but it's also head-scratching. The flashbacks are hit and miss. Goldblum has a slightly off sense of humor. It doesn't really work here. Emma Thompson is lovely as usual. This is a quirky movie that isn't that funny.

Now, I have to say that I went to see this based on the review of Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, both of whom could not get through a sentence without breaking into laughter when discussing several key scenes. I had never seen either one of them behave that way before, so I went out--this is, what, twelve years ago?--and plunked down my $5 and proceeded to laugh my butt off for two hours. I found both the sex scene and the scene of the musical to be minor gems, and can't recommend this film highly enough, particularly if you are A) a Jeff Goldblum fan, B) an Emma Thompson fan C) a Rowan Atkinson fan, or D) a musical theatre aficionado. You will laugh about the musical theater scene for years to come, particularly if you think Andrew Lloyd Webber is the antichrist, as I do.

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.

'The Tall Guy' teamed several big names from British comedy together - Richard Curtis was writing, Mel Smith directing, Rowan Atkinson and Emma Thompson appearing on the screen. The nominal lead role went to American actor Jeff Goldblum.

The flimsy plot concerned a patsy (Goldblum) playing straight man to funny performer Atkinson. There's a musical version of 'The Elephant Man' (which is quite funny and has echoes of 'The Man in the Moon' segment from 'Mame'); and a hilarious sex scene between Goldblum and Thompson around an entire room and over as many props as they could cram together.

Not much of a film otherwise though, and Richard Curtis in particular went on to hit to the big-time cinema wise with such undemanding fare as 'Four Weddings', 'Notting Hill', and 'Love Actually'.

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).

The Tall Guy is one of my all-time favorites. One's taste in comedies is a highly personal thing, and not everyone will find this movie to their taste, but if you like the inimitable flavor of British humor (as I do) and enjoy Jeff Goldblum and Emma Thompson, you will probably find this movie to be extremely rewarding -- that is, hilarious and, perhaps, a bit touching.

It's got its flaws, of course. There are plenty of spots where nothing really happens, the music is pretty uneven, and a few gags fall flat. There are one or two key plot points that are a little hard to follow (especially the scene with Emma Thompson on the television). And surprisingly, the last quarter or so turns a bit grim, and comes a bit close to losing sight of the whimsicality which is so much of this movie's charm.

But I'll gladly put up with all that for what this movie has to offer. It's incredibly hard to make a good comedy, and all too many comedies nowadays are either too tame, or too scatological...too cruel, or too meek...too earnest, or too smug in their irony. The Tall Guy proves that there is ground between these extremes, and what fertile ground it is! I don't know if one could make this movie in America; the entire film is permeated with a uniquely British sensibility that makes it irresistible. And in the midst of all this, Jeff Goldblum is absolutely spot-on as the bemused American; his facial expressions and reaction shots in this movie are priceless. It's a pity that so many of his recent roles have been in action movies; at his best, Goldblum is a fantastic comic actor, and this movie depends completely on his charm, wit, and expressiveness.

One of the centerpieces of the movie, by the way, is a musical based on "The Elephant Man". It's a tour-de-force of parody, brilliantly satirizing the tastelessnesses and mediocrities of modern musicals; indeed, I wish we could get to see even more of it.

I recently revisited The Tall Guy for the third time, watching it side-by-side with There's Something About Mary, and I can't begin to tell you how much the latter movie suffered by comparison. They have a few traits in common -- both movies revolve around the pursuit of a beautiful woman by a misanthropic-but-oddly-handsome male Jewish lead, both have a strong sexual element to their humor, and both feature a prominent handicapped character (a blind man in the Tall Guy, a man on crutches in Mary) whose misadventures are played for laughs. But where There's Something About Mary is coarse, mean, and obvious, The Tall Guy is witty, absurd, and completely good-natured -- and in my opinion, far superior.

I suspect there are a fair number of people who won't "get" The Tall Guy, and that's a shame. But if it sounds like it's on your wavelength, rent it if you can find it. It's an incredibly sweet and funny movie that is well worth the watching.

This movie is proof that Britain was creating great comedies before Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Written by the same man responsible for Four Weddings in Richard Curtis, this is a wonderfully funny movie following the ups and downs of an American actor's career and love life in London.

But as good as the main characters played by Goldblum and Thompson are, it is the supporting cast that are the real highlight, from Goldblum's slightly deranged landlady, to the star of the stage show he acts in played by Rowan Atkinson, with an ego the size of the theatre he's playing in. All are superb and have flashes of scene stealing brilliance.

Add in a great musical piece from Suggs, and you have a greatly overlooked gem of a comedy.

This is a very funny film. Jeff Goldblum and Emma Thompson are stand-outs. Rowan Atkinson is excellent as a smarmy "leading man" in the musical "Elephant!" who tries to sink Goldblum's chances in the musical.

The love scenes with Thompson and Goldblum are inspired, particularly the first time they have sex. I can't recall a film that treats the act in such a spontaneous, slapstick and totally hilarious manner as it's done here. The actor's quirky takes and interaction are most funny, and the entire film is simply a delight.

I've told many friends to seek out this movie, and those who have taken my advice have thanked me profusely for letting them know about it.

I can't recommend it too highly--for a fun night alone, or with your special someone. It'll put a smile on your face you can't wipe off.

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 ****

Take an obligatory American - Jeff Goldblum - a gorgeous nurse (Emma Thompson), a script by Richard Curtis, long before going on to pen Four Weddings and a Notting Hill; get Mel Smith to direct and rubber-faced Rowan Atkinson to play the villain of the piece. The result is The Tall Guy, probably the greatest comedy of 1989.

I remember going to see it twice at the time and laughing all the way through it, amazed that British comedies could be this good.

It has a huge amount going for it with intelligence, cracking lines and some highly stylised photography by Adrian Biddle.

Curtis' semi-autobiographical script is based on his own days as a fall guy for Atkinson and the result is well worth a look.

Interesting to see how people's opinions of this film are so polar - They either love it or hate it. I'm of the former and can't understand why others find it so bad. This is a heartwarming, clever and very funny movie. Not as commercially successful as Four Weddings or Notting Hill, but I think it's just as good.

This is one of those movies you wish you could like a lot more than you do, but it just never gets beyond ordinary at best. Jeff Goldblum is the title character, a Yank who sticks out like a sore thumb among the Brits. He works as the straight man for a stage comedian (played by Rowan Atkinson, and his fans will be disappointed that he's not featured more) and he falls for a blunt, independent-minded nurse (Emma Thompson) with whom he has a rocky romance.

It's not the stars' fault, but this alleged romantic comedy doesn't really deliver much romance or comedy. Fans of Emma Thompson will want to see it just for her, but even her extraordinary talent isn't going to make a silk purse out of this script. A sex scene, of sorts, does prove one thing that many of us Thompson fans have been saying all along--she IS sexy! But that's about the biggest thrill you will get from this film. It's good for a few chuckles, but no guffaws.

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.

There is of course no accounting for sense of humor, and I suppose there are intelligent people who will find the entire movie funny. I managed to crack a few smiles. But for those of you who find modern musicals (that is, since about West Side Story) pretentious and self-important, this movie contains a brilliant extended sendup of the genre. We've been subjected to musical Peronism, heard the Hunchback break into song, seen the Savior Himself presented as a rock star, and put up with the ridiculous chronicle of a deaf, dumb and blind kid who "sure plays a mean pinball." Well, it was only a matter of time before they got around to the Elephant Man, in a musical called "Elephant!"--with the obligatory exclamation point.

I can't remember how any of the songs go, but then I can't remember how any of the songs go in A Chorus Line either. When this happens in a real musical, one wishes for the days of Rodgers and Hart or the Gershwins. When it's a satire, it's hysterical. If in the middle of a movie about something else, they can throw together ten minutes worth of song and dialog that mimic the style so flawlessly, the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim are knocked down at least one peg. Couldn't happen to a nicer couple of guys.

I wouldn't say this film is great outstanding art, but there is something about it. The way it is poking fun at the entertainment business (good to see Rowan Atkinson taking the p**s out of himself!)? The way it doesn't take the musical "Elephant" serious? Does the film take itself serious? I don't know really.

The story as such is not worth a comment. The movie is hardly more than an array of hilarious scenes wrapped in an average love story. Though the love story seems not to be the major message, I was on the edge of the seat all the way through. There are so many clever jokes in this plot, at short intervals at that. Perhaps this makes the difference.

Jeff Goldblum is doing well in this European style comedy (didn't expect him to). Emma is doing great too. The music is well chosen from the 80th Britpop charts... Only the ending goes a bit flat, but I can live with it.

Finally I can't resist to comment on the sex scene. I was rolling on the ground, couldn't stop laughing. The best of its kind, by distance.

I watched this film as a kid and it might be one of the reasons for my lifelong love of Jeff Goldblum. I rewatched it out of nostalgia or curiosity.

Sadly, it's just not very good. There are funny bits, like the character of Atkinson, and some of the asides during parties or group scenes. However, it's not enough to elevate a very conventional script: you see all the tropes that will reappear in later Curtis movies, and it's just a bit too transparent, perhaps also because of the benefit of the insight. Most of the jokes fall flat, or sound dated.

Another weakness is that Jeff Goldblum is miscast. Are we really supposed to believe he's an insecure wreck unable to ask a girl out, while all of his body language and demeanour indicate that he, in fact, owns the place, the city and most of the hinterland? Emma Thompson is rigid as a plank, and they have zero chemistry.

In short, some thirty-five years later, I see its flaws. Nostalgia is a very.deceitful thing.

I heard Emma Thompson talking about this movie on a talk show several years ago and eagerly awaited it at the box office. After a year or so, I forgot all about it until I saw a copy of it on sale at the video store for five dollars. Thinking that I couldn't go wrong for five bucks, I purchased it and took it to a friends to view it. All of us were fans of Jeff Goldbloom, Emma Thompson and Rowan Atkinson. As the closing credits rolled by, one of my friends commented that "this movie is so bad that it must have been made by the government". Everyone present was in agreement. If you want to buy my copy, let me know.