High concept comedy is something quite common in Hollywood, but it can found even among products of other cinema industries. One such example is The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain, 1995 film written and directed by Christopher Monger.
The film is based on the stories Monger have heard from his grandfather Ivor Monger, who had lived in small Welsh town of Taffin’s Well. The plot is set in 1917 and begins when two English cartographers and former British Army officers – George Garrad (played by Ian McNiece) and Reginald Anson (played by Hugh Grant) – arrive into Welsh village to conduct geographic survey and measure the height of local peak Ffynnon Garw. What was supposed to be a routine task gets complicated when the locals learn that Ffynnon Garw, which they considered “first mountain in Wales”, might be officially relegated to mere hill if its height happens to be under 1000 feet. Cartographers, much to the utter disappointment of everyone in the village, establish that the height of Ffynnon Garw is 984 feet. Reverend Robert Jones (played by Kenneth Griffin), Baptist preacher and unofficial leader of community gets an idea to heighten the hill by building earth mound at the top. Local population is drafted into the task while local pub owner Morgan the Goat (played by Colm Meaney) and other villagers play all kinds of tricks to keep cartographers in the village before the mound is built and new survey can be conducted. One of those tricks involve arrival of Betty (played by Tara Fitzgerald), seductive woman who is supposed to provide company for Anson.
Judging by the poster, The Englishman looks like a typical romantic comedy starring Hugh Grant with interesting premise adding nothing by a flavour to series of cliches. However, Monger actually builds on that premise and pays homage to the old traditions of classic 1950s British comedies, especially those set in isolated small town and villages and featuring all kinds of eccentric and colourful characters. Most of such characters in The Englishman are portrayed in loving detail and played by small army of excellent character actors that include Colm Meaney (who was enjoying television stardom thanks to the role of Miles O’Brien in Star Trek) and veteran Kenneth Griffin in memorable and poignant portrayal of a priest who fights for this community’s pride and cultural legacy. Although the general tone of the film is very light, occasionally it has darker moments, mainly dealing with the First World War which was still raging during the time when plot took place. It is seen through references about many young men lost in the trenches and those, like Johnny Shellshocked, character played by Ian Hart, who returned from the front as shadow of their former selves. Near the end The Englishman almost turns into epic thanks to the scenes featuring hundreds of extras. Monger directed them well, skilfully handling relatively low budget. The main problem for The Englishman is, however, in what the film was advertised to be. As romantic comedy, it leaves too much to be desired. Romantic subplot develops too late in the film and despite Hugh Grant and Tara Fitzgerald, who have starred earlier in Sirens, having good chemistry, it looks artificially introduced into more interesting and compelling story. Despite such flaw, The Englishman is a solid heart-warming and mildly amusing story that delivers what high concept comedies are supposed to do.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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