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The Tall Guy

Play trailer Poster for The Tall Guy R 1989 1h 32m Romance Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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86% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 66% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
An American actor (Jeff Goldblum) in London meets a nurse (Emma Thompson) and stars in a musical version of "The Elephant Man."

Critics Reviews

View All (21) Critics Reviews
Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Rated: B- Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Variety Staff Variety The fresh, alert performances add enormously to the polished sparkle of the script. Mar 26, 2009 Full Review Geoff Andrew Time Out Mel Smith's directorial debut is uninhibited by finesse, but it has its laughs. Jun 24, 2006 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com ‘…arguably the most copied British film ever; these tropes have been seen in tens if not hundreds of films since, so it’s striking to see them played with varying degrees of confidence the first time around… Rated: 3/5 Jan 31, 2024 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) More disposable than kleenex. [Full review in Spanish] Oct 26, 2022 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Jul 20, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (127) audience reviews
Chris D Amazing soundtrack - Curtis’s under estimated gem ! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/19/24 Full Review Darcy B The Tall Guy boasts a stellar cast, but ultimately delivers a lackluster love story filled with awkward and contrived moments that rip the viewer out of the experience. Despite the talent on screen, the narrative often feels like a patchwork of forced scenes: lacking the authenticity and charm you’d expect from a romantic comedy. It’s as if you’re watching a school production, where the actors are doing their best but never quite realise the characters that they’re playing. There are films made on smaller budgets from this era that manage to capture far more genuine emotion and connection, leaving The Tall Guy feeling shallow in comparison. Instead of drawing you in — it feels like a missed opportunity, relying on gags over heart. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 10/13/24 Full Review Blu B A Solid Comedic Gem. The acting is the highlight here which is really good and keep a pacing to match because 80-90% of the jokes really work and are very witty, quirky, and setup well. Goldblum is solid and the supporting cast while forgettable mostly is elevated because of the humor which is very memorable. This doesn't rely on gross out, tons of references, or over the top slapstick but well thought out quirky stuff. The standout though it really Emma Thompson who is really good and the best thing in this. Her dead pan comedic delivery is spot on and she outacts Jeff in almost every scene but they both have good solid chemistry and quirky material to match. Everything else is solid. This is a pretty predictable Rom-Com when stripped away of its quirks at the most basic level and doesn't do anything new in that regard. It's just a fun little good time with quirky humor. The biggest issue is sometimes it can be a bit too quirky and weird and doesn't have a style at times because of it. Also the music can be abit weird sometimes too and out of place but it's pretty memorable and works for the most part well. Another thing is if you have never seen the Elephant Man you will be lost with the material a bit when that comes up. And it can become a bit bizarre when it turns into a musical at points with the Elephant material. But it does work for the most part thanks to the humor and solid chemistry between the two leads especially Thompson. If your a fan of quirky Rom-Com's, any actors in this, the director, or the Elephant Man even defintely give this a try. It's a fun time. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/07/24 Full Review Audience Member What a comic gem this movie is. It came and went so quickly from the theatres, but it stayed with me for a long time afterwards. Everything in it works. The sex scene between Jeff Goldblum and Emma Thompson remains the funniest ever filmed. I pop the dvd on often when I need a laugh. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member Emma Thompson is just lovely Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Funny, charming and romantic. A wonderful film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Tall Guy

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis An American actor (Jeff Goldblum) in London meets a nurse (Emma Thompson) and stars in a musical version of "The Elephant Man."
Director
Mel Smith
Producer
Paul Webster
Screenwriter
Richard Curtis
Rating
R
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Mar 19, 2002
Box Office (Gross USA)
$91.1K
Runtime
1h 32m