Customer Reviews

The Englishman Who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain (Widescreen)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This unassuming film takes place during World War I in a Welsh village when two English cartographers, Anson (Hugh Grant) and the more senior Garrad (Ian McNeice), arrive as part of the war effort to map the Welsh countryside. The villagers are jubilant that they are finally going to be noticed since they have what they call "the first mountain in Wales" within their boundaries. Unfortunately, to qualify as a mountain in the eyes of the British government, the peak must be 1000 feet high and, of course, this one falls just short, much to the outrage and sorrow of the townspeople. To have their mountain reclassified as a hill threatens their regional pride and identity. Naturally, they stubbornly set out to do something about it. In a town with so few surnames that people are designated by profession or personality - Williams the Petroleum or Evans the End of the World - the town has its surprising divisions that first must be bridged.

The charm of this film lies in its gentle good humor and the coziness of the small Welsh community it evokes. Everything about this film is simple - the premise, the characters, the conflict, the resolution - and this lack of complexity allows the determination of its characters to shine through in a way that a more boisterous film would not. Hugh Grant plays his usual awkwardly charming character, fitting for the role but occasionally annoying. Colm Meaney is wonderful as innkeeper Morgan the Goat, and Kenneth Griffith turns in a remarkable performance as Morgan's foil, the elderly but feisty Rev. Jones. Tara Fitzgerald is radiant as the love interest Betty. Ian Hart as Johnny Shellshocked nicely underplays his part as the young man returned from the war with emotional scars.

Indie film aficionados and Hugh Grant fans will probably like this movie more than the average American viewer will. This quiet exploration of the huge emotional difference wrought by a few feet will delight those seeking a feel-good movie without commercial flashiness. Stay away if you are looking for a hilarious romantic comedy because, chances are, you won't find it here.

This is an amusing genial tale of a small community in Wales endeavouring to sustain the proud emblem of a mountain in their midst which they say is the first in their Welsh landscape. Some British visiting surveyors think otherwise, so it becomes an all-out effort of the locals to increase the size to meet standards that define a mountain: 1,000 feet. Hugh Grant and a cast of characters are excellent in displaying the highs and lows, the pros and cons, of their involvement. It is a subdued, kind of film with a very colloquial, homespun setting. I'm rather reminded of a few of Barry Fitzgerald's movies similar to this, only Irish. And then there's Margaret Rutherford's "Passport To Pimlico", more hilarious of course, that is also built around a community upheaval of sorts. I was hoping to find English subtitles for this Hugh Grant film, just to make it easier to follow their dialect and at times whispering level of dialogue, but it seems not available. This film appeals to the gentler side of emotions, more refined, a good human story.

The year is 1917, and two English mapmakers come to a tiny Welsh village to survey their so-called 'mountain.' With the war taking all the young men and the harsh life in the coal mines, the local folk have little to be proud of except their peak, but cartographer Anson (Hugh Grant) doubts that it reaches the minimum height required to be officially deemed a mountain and may, in fact, be merely a hill. Rallied by their minister, the entire town sets about making sure it's tall enough.

This sweet and folksy comedy has a thin plot and moves at a snail's pace, but still succeeds thanks to the coziness of the village, the close bond the locals share, and Hugh Grant's boyish charms. Filmed just after "Four Weddings and a Funeral," but before he was an international star, Grant is bright, likable, and interesting and not-yet affected by his trademark stammering and eyelash-fluttering. Everything about the picturesque village seems authentic and the folksy humor is ingratiating. Enjoyable if you like character-driven films.

TWEE AND SICKLY SWEET...A SUNDAY AFTERNOON FAMILY FILM.This film is a typical Hugh Grant with the tears and laughter. A story loooooooooosley based on a true story. K from Scotland.

A great test of whether you have subtle taste and a real humorous mind: after the first 10 minutes into the movie - once you adjust your ear to the music-like accent and figure out what's going on - you will smile all the way to the end. A fantastic comedy for suited mind.

Warning of the DVD: I bought, exchanged, and finally returned 3 copies of this DVD from various vendors, all of them are defects! If you look at the back side of the DVD, you will see some checker-like patterns on the surface - not as smooth and reflective as usual disk. My player will play partial frames and then stops. I wonder if this particular title is manufactured wrong or bad luck follows me for 3 times. I kept my VHS as a result.

If anyone find or own a good DVD on this title, please let me know from which vendor you bought it - there got to be some good stock on this title. The good movie deserves a better DVD transfer.

I'm late discovering this movie and I wouldn't know Hugh Grant from Ulysses S., but it was a lovely way to spend an evening. Subtle humor, various characters including one traumatized by the war (WWI) and those that develop over time, and a nice collection of scenes to look at made it really worthwhile. In our over-hyped, rushed scenes, odd camera angles, and star-worshipping, it's nice to have a quiet little film to just relax with.

Easily one of Hugh Grant's best. It's quaint and simple, and the music and scenery will make you want to visit the UK. It's a simple love story, but at it's roots are the people of Wales. This is a movie you can watch over and over again.

They are more like suppoting actor/actress and not really important here. In fact, there are no dominant actors here. The players are small towners in Wales. I just love this charming, pleasant, and heart-warming comedy film.

Really enjoyed this movie. Enjoy most of Hugh Grant's movies, but this one really suprised me. I was determined not to finish watching it, but couldn't help myself! This film has a lot of unspoken wit and charm...pleasant, simple storyline; interesting "every day" kinds of characters. Thought the story line development was superb. 'Englishman' is really a "needle in a haystack" kind of film....not a lot of big names, but charming, warm, and most enjoyable.

This movie left me with a just-missed feeling. It started out well, with an amusing idea and interesting characters. The problem was, it never got beyond that. The first 20 minutes or so was the best part of the story. Unfortunately, the colorful, eccentric characters were never developed beyond simple character sketches. Even in a whimsical comedy, you need a little more substance.

The same was true for the plot. There is no real feeling of suspense or tension. I bought the idea that the townspeople cared about their mountain, and they got me to care about it, too. But again, even a whimsical comedy should make you wonder about the outcome, just to engage you emotionally.

The only real suspense here was when it would stop raining, so the villagers could finish building the mound.

The scenes with the villagers playing tricks to keep the Englishmen from leaving were cute, but went on too long. The romance could have been sweet, but again there was nothing to it. No conflict, tension or character development. Why are these two people falling in love? (Plenty of potential obstacles since she's a maid and he's obviously upperclass). Again, even a whimsical love story should make you care.

Hugh Grant plays his usual mannerisms. Here they seemed exactly in place, perfect for a WWI era upper class Englishman. His only problem was the same as the other characters: no character development. (Oh, and an overly-slicked hairstyle that sometimes looked cemented in place.) But like the others, he didn't have enough substance to come alive.

Ian McNeice deserves highest marks here for his memorable take on a stock English character. Even his flamingo pink waistcoat was perfect.

The movie did make me laugh more than once, and it provided a pleasant if fairly forgettable evening's entertainment. However, I thought tht with a little more work and care, it could have been another Waking Ned Divine or Cold Comfort Farm. Both of these movies are just as whimsical as "The Englishman...", but they have a substance to their storytelling that makes you feel, at the end, that you've been somewhere, that you've been told a great story. I wish I could say the same here.