Although “Last Chance Harvey” is a predictable romantic comedy, its stars Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson bring such vibrancy and credibility to their roles that this movie is a pleasure to watch. Harvey Shine (Hoffman), a writer of TV commercial jingles, is fired via cell phone while he’s in London for the wedding of his daughter, Susan (Liane Balaban). Things go from bad to worse when Susan informs Harvey that she would prefer that her stepfather, Brian (James Brolin), give her away. Harvey acquiesces, but not gracefully. To top everything off, after the wedding, he misses his return flight. He’s at a Heathrow bar when he meets Kate (Thompson), who’s got troubles of her own. Her mother (Eileen Atkins) believes her new neighbor is a serial killer and Kate’s blind date the night before did not go well. When Harvey tries to make small talk, she’s initially unreceptive, but his persistence pays off and they spend the afternoon together. He accompanies her to her writing class and she agrees to be his date for the wedding reception.
“Last Chance Harvey” uses the concept of having two people fall in love as they tour a city – London – and this provides ample opportunity to see Harvey and Kate interact. It’s delightful to see Hoffman and Thompson’s on-screen chemistry and to hear their dry one-liners from writer/director Joel Hopkins’ script. There are no surprises although there are many small pleasures that come through dialogue and character interactions. “Last Chance Harvey” is a charming love story for an older generation, illustrating that falling in love isn’t just for the young. 12/26/08
1 comment:
I thing Dustin Hoffman has done his best work in years in "Last Chance Harvey". He works very well with Emma Thompson and they look great in London. This is a feel good film with a message and some great acting, too! I loved it!!
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