As seen at AFI Fest 2008:
It’s a little pathetic that we, the movie-going masses,
have accepted the notion that certain genres are conducive to
mediocre films. The most pigeonholed among said genres (except
for perhaps slasher-horror) is romantic-comedy, which has been
written off as a blanket for formulaic studio fodder targeted
exclusively at menopausal women and teary-eyed teenage girls.
Thankfully, there are movies like Last Chance Harvey
to remind us that all types of stories can be made into good
movies so long as the right elements are at work. The film, no
doubt a romantic-comedy if you’ve ever seen one, carries broad
appeal that will reach far beyond its genre’s token audience if
allowed the chance. It’s smartly written and likably performed.
In fact, if all romantic-comedies were like it, men would have
no problem enduring them on date-night.
The movie stars Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, both at
the tops of their respective games playing characters they could
easily be in real life. He’s Harvey Shine, a washed-up TV jingle
composer who hits a mid-life-crisis point when he is fired by
telephone while in London at his daughter’s (Liane Balaban)
wedding, only to then have his daughter tell him she’d prefer to
have her step-father (James Brolin) give her away. Running from
his distant family and trying to save his job, Harvey heads for
Heathrow to catch a flight back to the States but doesn’t make
it in time. Drowning his sorrows at the airport bar, he meets
Kate (Thompson), an airline employee who he instantly forges a
bond with when she snidely remarks on his drink-order. The
pair’s chance encounter turns into an entire day spent together,
providing Harvey a new outlook on his life and, as the movie’s
title indicates, second chances at love and—as Kay insists as
Harvey tells her more about the wedding—making things right with
his daughter.
The movie’s plot isn’t original, but the
situations—essentially a long string of encounters and
conversations between Harvey and Kate—are affably written and
briskly paced by impressive first-time writer/director Joel
Hopkins. Working skillfully in unobtrusive Hollywood Style,
Hopkins sets the stage for Hoffman and Thompson to deliver. And
indeed, the actors’ chemistry feels natural and the dynamic
between their two characters authentic. In fact, Last Chance
Harvey’s primary strength is that it showcases two terrific
performers in relaxed form, casually walking and talking with
every bit as much emotional nuance as seen in their most
acclaimed work but none of the frill. In this sense, Last
Chance Harvey works in much the same way Richard Linklater’s
Before Sunrise did, even though the material is more
conventional and the dialogue isn’t as complex.
While it may not rock anyone’s world, Last Chance Harvey
offers an enjoyable, agreeable time at the movies for couples,
particularly those who are older and like well-made takes on
simple stories. For those seeking a Christmas confection with
none of the aftertaste of the latest bloated studio production,
this lighthearted opportunity to spend time with two great
screen-presences is the perfect choice.
-Danny Baldwin, Bucket Reviews
Review Published on: 12.24.2008
Screened on:
11.8.2008 at the ArcLight Cinerama Dome in Hollywood,
CA.