Downhill

As the film's tagline says, this British comedy drama is a road movie, only on foot! And it's a small delight. Four former school friends, now middle-aged, meet up again to tackle a near 200-mile coast-to-coast walk across northern England. But assorted midlife crises mess up their bid to re-bond, and comic incompatibilities within the group are exposed. Deftly played by a cast headed by Irish character actor Ned Dennehy, with well-written roles and gorgeous scenery to boot, Downhill is a home-grown treat, and the perfect solution to anyone seeking an alternative to the preponderance of overblown blockbusters on screens big and small.