Stars: Jeff Goldblum, Emma Thompson, Rowan Atkinson, Geraldine James

Director: Mel Smith

Summary: Dexter King is a tall, dark actor, and stooge to a famous, funny and vastly unpleasant Ron Anderson. All that stands between Dexter King and success is his hayfever and his tight-fisted boss. Dexter meets up with a sexy nurse who seems to hold the cure for hayfever... but she has a huge sexual appetite... and she holds the key to his heart. Unfortunately, Dexter hasn't made a pass at a girl in years...

An American actor working in London is frustrated by his lack of success. When love comes his way so does his chance at stardom. Now he must sort out his life to resolve the personal problems that arise with his good fortune.

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The first feature to be directed by comedian Mel Smith, The Tall Guyis a blithely ramshackle comedy, essentially a vehicle for the gangling, geeky charms of Jeff Goldblum. He plays an American actor in London, living in a scruffy flat in Camden Town and stuck in a wretched job as sidekick to an obnoxious, egomaniac comedian (Rowan Atkinson). To compound his misery, he doesn't have a girlfriend--until, that is, he encounters a brisk, pretty nurse (Emma Thompson) with a refreshingly no-nonsense attitude to sex. Then, fired from his job, he lands the title role in a big-budget musical version of The Elephant Man(entitled Elephant!)--only to have his leading lady make a play for him.

The Tall Guy, as you might gather, isn't long on originality and Smith's direction is serviceable at best. But it boasts an intelligent and intermittently witty script from Richard Curtis (his first for a feature film), and coasts through on the charm of the two leads, a ripely self-mocking performance from Atkinson and some diverting set-pieces--not least a spoof sex-scene where Goldblum and Thompson, in the urgency of their rampant lust, demolish the contents of an entire room. (This scene was replayed in deadly earnest in Chen Kaige's calamitous excursion into English-language thrillers, Killing Me Softly.) Smith and Curtis also have fun sending up various types of theatre: there's an audition for a Steven Berkoff production where the actors are required to scream "Fuck off" at each for minutes on end, and the musical (hit song "I'm Packing My Trunk") wickedly spoofs the Andrew Lloyd Webber school of composition.

On the DVD:The Tall Guyoffers no extras except the theatrical trailer. The transfer is full-width, and both sound and visual come up cleanly. --Philip Kemp

Aspect Ratio:	1.85 Wide Screen, 16:9 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Original Theatrical Trailer, Interactive Menu, Chapter Selection
Subtitles:	French, Spanish
Year:	1988
Release Date:	February 24, 2003
Runtime:	88 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	24370 D V D
Keywords:	Comedy, General, Guy, Tall
Genre:	Comedy