What can we say about Dustie Hoffman and Emma Thompson? Here are 2 of the best in the profession laying out roles of two disaffected people who encounter in their disparate desperation and find in themselves something to come to grips with who they are. The interesting thing, is that this is a plot line that could be a stinker if played out wrong. The whole story drips with sentiment wrought by the conflict of aging, adrift in meaningless careers and embellished by the idea of being "losers." The story line has no great leaps, little action and unfolds in a potentially boring setting and what saves it is the performance of these two great veterans who give the yin and yang of two different people who compliment each other. This is a great movie. Go see it.
132 Reviews
Nothing much but the elegance of restraint
Chris Knipp8 February 2009
On the face of it Last Chance Harvey, helmed by the virtually unknown English director Joel Hopkins, is a mere piece of frippery, a little tale of a chance encounter in an airport between a man and woman of a certain age on the rebound from disappointment, something we've seen dozens of times. But the masterful acting of Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman, and the restraint of a script that could be maudlin or cutesy but never is, make the film not only entertaining and watchable but even touched by moments of grace.
Harvey Shine (Hoffman) is a composer of TV jingles who may be out of work. When he goes London to attend his daughter's wedding, he learns she has chosen her stepfather, Brian, to give her away. Amid these humiliations Harvey runs into Kate Walker (Thompson), who works doing surveys of passengers passing through Heathrow.
Thompson is playing an old maid saddled with a mother (the great Aileen Atkins) worried about her "situation" and also suspicious of a Polish neighbor she thinks may be a new Jack the Ripper. She calls all the time. Harvey keeps getting calls from his New York agent, but they're never encouraging. This cell phone shtick is unoriginal wallpaper. None of the developments is thought provoking or surprising. But the film avoids pushing too hard and thus gains credibility, at least in the personalities. Liane Balaban, as Susan, Harvey's daughter and the bride, has a credible restraint and sweetness. She is decent to Harvey, even as she has cooperated in his virtual exclusion from her marriage celebration. Kathy Baker plays Jean, Harvey's ex-wife, with poise and elegance.
At the center is Hoffman. He never plays for bathos. He woos Kate with delicate humor. His sense of defeat is only partial. This may be his "last chance" both to be a presence at his daughter's nuptials and to find a woman who will care about him, but though the screenplay puts him out on a limb, it doesn't coat him in desperation. He takes taxis everywhere, and stays at a nice hotel. He conveys an aura of quiet pluck. His little smiles are never forced; he's good humored. Beyond that, Hoffman has moments of stillness more beautiful than any actor's fussy line readings.
I guess you could call this a bittersweet comedy. Despite a scene that verges on the maudlin when Harvey speaks at the wedding reception, the film's skill is in the way it averts all disasters. The adeptness with which the two principals stay away from ever pushing too hard is the essence of good film acting. Last Chance Harvey may not make a deep impression but that slight memory it leaves behind is a good one. It will do to while away an afternoon. With Dustin and Emma, one is in good hands. _________________
Harvey Shine (Hoffman) is a composer of TV jingles who may be out of work. When he goes London to attend his daughter's wedding, he learns she has chosen her stepfather, Brian, to give her away. Amid these humiliations Harvey runs into Kate Walker (Thompson), who works doing surveys of passengers passing through Heathrow.
Thompson is playing an old maid saddled with a mother (the great Aileen Atkins) worried about her "situation" and also suspicious of a Polish neighbor she thinks may be a new Jack the Ripper. She calls all the time. Harvey keeps getting calls from his New York agent, but they're never encouraging. This cell phone shtick is unoriginal wallpaper. None of the developments is thought provoking or surprising. But the film avoids pushing too hard and thus gains credibility, at least in the personalities. Liane Balaban, as Susan, Harvey's daughter and the bride, has a credible restraint and sweetness. She is decent to Harvey, even as she has cooperated in his virtual exclusion from her marriage celebration. Kathy Baker plays Jean, Harvey's ex-wife, with poise and elegance.
At the center is Hoffman. He never plays for bathos. He woos Kate with delicate humor. His sense of defeat is only partial. This may be his "last chance" both to be a presence at his daughter's nuptials and to find a woman who will care about him, but though the screenplay puts him out on a limb, it doesn't coat him in desperation. He takes taxis everywhere, and stays at a nice hotel. He conveys an aura of quiet pluck. His little smiles are never forced; he's good humored. Beyond that, Hoffman has moments of stillness more beautiful than any actor's fussy line readings.
I guess you could call this a bittersweet comedy. Despite a scene that verges on the maudlin when Harvey speaks at the wedding reception, the film's skill is in the way it averts all disasters. The adeptness with which the two principals stay away from ever pushing too hard is the essence of good film acting. Last Chance Harvey may not make a deep impression but that slight memory it leaves behind is a good one. It will do to while away an afternoon. With Dustin and Emma, one is in good hands. _________________
Heartfelt and sincere
howard.schumann16 August 2009
While Joel Hopkins' Last Chance Harvey does not break any new ground, it contains some very unusual features for a romantic comedy: lovers who are over fifty years old and estranged family members who treat each other with civility. The film is about second chances and, in this case, perhaps third or fourth chances, and reminds us that it is never too late to turn our lives around or to clean up past mistakes. Dustin Hoffman (who is 71) pursues Emma Thompson (who is 49 and a few inches taller than him) but the relationship neither feels awkward nor strained thanks to the magnificent performances by these accomplished actors who truly inhabit their characters.
Both Harvey Shine (Hoffman) and Kate Walker (Thompson) at this stage in their lives seem to be lost but carry on with determination. Harvey is a wannabe jazz pianist who has settled for work writing jingles for commercials but obviously feels that he has missed his calling. Divorced from his wife Jean (Kathy Baker) and estranged from his daughter Susan (Liane Balaban), Harvey is traveling to London to attend his daughter's wedding but dreads the reunion. Meanwhile, his boss (Richard Schiff) comments about the new young people coming into the company, presumably thinking they can improve on Harvey's performance. When Harvey tells his boss that he is going to London for the weekend for the marriage of his only daughter, he warns him that there will be consequences if he does not return on Monday.
When Harvey arrives at his hotel expecting to find the wedding party, he finds that everyone else is staying at a mansion rented by his daughter's wealthy stepfather Brian (James Brolin). Seething inside, Harvey still manages to show good cheer at the reception, that is, until he receives a double dose of bad news: Susan tells him that she is going to have Brian give her away and a phone call from his job tells him that he is being let go from his job. To perk up his spirits, after missing his flight back to JFK, Harvey meets Kate (Thompson) in the airport bar. Kate (who has never married) works for a statistics company interviewing arriving passengers on incoming flights at Heathrow and had been refused an interview by Harvey when he first arrived.
Both are disappointed in life, Kate's spirits being especially down after she was ignored during a blind date and created an excuse to leave early. The unlikely pair open up to each other, however, and begin a relationship based on mutual need. Their all-night walk around London saves them the awkwardness of having to go to a hotel together and gives the viewer a lovely montage of the city, their conversation only interrupted by phone calls from Kate's mother Maggie (Eileen Atkins) who has recently recovered from cancer and is paranoid about a new Polish neighbor.
Kate convinces Harvey to attend his daughter's wedding reception in a charming scene marred only by a clichéd montage of Kate trying on different gowns in the dress store. When Harvey brings Kate to the reception, he seems to have a new level of confidence and his wedding toast to his daughter is extremely touching. At this point, many things could go wrong but do not. As Andrew Sarris has pointed out, "In these times of institutionalized bad manners on screen and off, it is refreshing to see a movie smoothly returning to an age of courtesy and courtliness leavened by wit and genuine sincerity." While Last Chance Harvey will never be confused with great romantic comedy, it is heartfelt and sincere, and its message that people at all ages have the power to transform the quality of their lives left me with a smile.
Both Harvey Shine (Hoffman) and Kate Walker (Thompson) at this stage in their lives seem to be lost but carry on with determination. Harvey is a wannabe jazz pianist who has settled for work writing jingles for commercials but obviously feels that he has missed his calling. Divorced from his wife Jean (Kathy Baker) and estranged from his daughter Susan (Liane Balaban), Harvey is traveling to London to attend his daughter's wedding but dreads the reunion. Meanwhile, his boss (Richard Schiff) comments about the new young people coming into the company, presumably thinking they can improve on Harvey's performance. When Harvey tells his boss that he is going to London for the weekend for the marriage of his only daughter, he warns him that there will be consequences if he does not return on Monday.
When Harvey arrives at his hotel expecting to find the wedding party, he finds that everyone else is staying at a mansion rented by his daughter's wealthy stepfather Brian (James Brolin). Seething inside, Harvey still manages to show good cheer at the reception, that is, until he receives a double dose of bad news: Susan tells him that she is going to have Brian give her away and a phone call from his job tells him that he is being let go from his job. To perk up his spirits, after missing his flight back to JFK, Harvey meets Kate (Thompson) in the airport bar. Kate (who has never married) works for a statistics company interviewing arriving passengers on incoming flights at Heathrow and had been refused an interview by Harvey when he first arrived.
Both are disappointed in life, Kate's spirits being especially down after she was ignored during a blind date and created an excuse to leave early. The unlikely pair open up to each other, however, and begin a relationship based on mutual need. Their all-night walk around London saves them the awkwardness of having to go to a hotel together and gives the viewer a lovely montage of the city, their conversation only interrupted by phone calls from Kate's mother Maggie (Eileen Atkins) who has recently recovered from cancer and is paranoid about a new Polish neighbor.
Kate convinces Harvey to attend his daughter's wedding reception in a charming scene marred only by a clichéd montage of Kate trying on different gowns in the dress store. When Harvey brings Kate to the reception, he seems to have a new level of confidence and his wedding toast to his daughter is extremely touching. At this point, many things could go wrong but do not. As Andrew Sarris has pointed out, "In these times of institutionalized bad manners on screen and off, it is refreshing to see a movie smoothly returning to an age of courtesy and courtliness leavened by wit and genuine sincerity." While Last Chance Harvey will never be confused with great romantic comedy, it is heartfelt and sincere, and its message that people at all ages have the power to transform the quality of their lives left me with a smile.
Emma Thompson makes the whole thing worth it
arichmondfwc7 January 2009
Yes, it's one of those "nice" movies but Emma Thompson's presence alone raises the worthiness of this movie several notches. We believe everything we see in her wonderful complicated face and that's the hook that will carry you along, it certainly did me. Dustin Hoffman, is the unlikely romantic door that opens to Emma, poor girl. But she sees something in him that I, quite honestly, didn't. At the end of the day if it's okay with Emma, it's okay with me. There are a couple of marvelous moments but that's about it. Another element that helps us enormously to escape the predominant flatness is Eileen Atkins as Emma's mother. All in all I would recommend you to see it, preferably on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
A Well-Acted, Subtle Movie with Forgivable Faults.
cynthiabuhr17 January 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I spent most of this movie feeling a subdued kind of sadness for the characters, and I can't remember another movie sustaining that feeling like this one did. This movie is about two socially awkward people who could use some real companionship, and the way they go about finding it (which is to say, without the normal clichés) is pretty endearing.
Right when you think that it's Emma Thompson's cue to say something or act in a certain expected way, she says and does something different, yet realistic. Dustin Hoffman does a great job of managing to come across a man who recognizably does not quite fit into his own family because of his propensity to say and do things that don't lend themselves to smooth charisma but yet is likable in his own way and somehow likable to Emma Thompson, too.
One might worry about the logistics all of this, and certainly the scene where Dustin Hoffman's character rushed to the piano to stop Emma Thompson's character from the leaving the wedding reception was a bit too cheesy (and like nails on a chalkboard for me in an otherwise very subtle and delightful move). But in the end, these characters, for all of their destined predictability and occasional lapses into formulaic tedium, had very human faults that resonated... just like the movie itself.
Right when you think that it's Emma Thompson's cue to say something or act in a certain expected way, she says and does something different, yet realistic. Dustin Hoffman does a great job of managing to come across a man who recognizably does not quite fit into his own family because of his propensity to say and do things that don't lend themselves to smooth charisma but yet is likable in his own way and somehow likable to Emma Thompson, too.
One might worry about the logistics all of this, and certainly the scene where Dustin Hoffman's character rushed to the piano to stop Emma Thompson's character from the leaving the wedding reception was a bit too cheesy (and like nails on a chalkboard for me in an otherwise very subtle and delightful move). But in the end, these characters, for all of their destined predictability and occasional lapses into formulaic tedium, had very human faults that resonated... just like the movie itself.
Best with Dustin and Emma together
SnoopyStyle2 November 2013
Harvey Shine (Dustin Hoffman) is a New Yorker in London for his daughter's wedding. He writes advertising music and he's struggling. His ex-wife is long ago remarried, and his daughter is closer to her stepfather. Kate Walker (Emma Thompson) is an aging spinster working at Heathrow forced to endure blind dates. Kate and Harvey strikes up a conversation in an airport bar.
The story starts slow and really needs Harry to meet Kate. The 30 minutes at the start badly needs a good trim. The movie works best when the two veterans are together. Harvey does have a great relationship problem with his daughter. Other than that, the story is fairly thin, but it's still wonderful to see great actors work. If only they could write another 30 minutes of good dialog and have these guys weave their magic. Nevertheless, this is still a joy.
The story starts slow and really needs Harry to meet Kate. The 30 minutes at the start badly needs a good trim. The movie works best when the two veterans are together. Harvey does have a great relationship problem with his daughter. Other than that, the story is fairly thin, but it's still wonderful to see great actors work. If only they could write another 30 minutes of good dialog and have these guys weave their magic. Nevertheless, this is still a joy.
A Conventional Third Act Weighs Down a Leisurely Autumnal Romantic Yarn
EUyeshima31 May 2009
At its best, this rather slight 2008 melding of comedy and drama reminds me of Ulu Grosbard's bittersweet "Falling in Love" (1984) in which Robert DeNiro and Meryl Streep stumble into a romantic relationship constantly derailed by guilt and commuter train schedules. At its worst, this film - leisurely directed and written by Joel Hopkins - uses several well-worn cinematic conventions - including a familiar third-act plot device from a classic movie - and forces a predictable ending that is far from satisfying. On the upside, it certainly helps to have actors the caliber of Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson in the principal roles, although I have to admit I was not taken in by their characters' halting romance because the actors are simply not meshing in a convincing way. In fact, this movie ironically works better when the actors perform in separate scenes away from each other. The problem is that the elfin Hoffman just tries too hard to overcome Thompson's self-protective demeanor of disappointment.
The story focuses on Harvey Shine, a divorced jingle writer whose career seems to be waning in the face of more youthful talent. At the same time, his daughter Susan is getting married in England, so he is anxious to offset his professional disappointments with a family reunion he really needs. However, their estrangement turns out to be deeper than expected since Susan tells him that she has already asked her rugged, engaging stepfather to give her away at the wedding. When he concludes that it is he who has become the family outsider, he meets Kate Walker, an airport employee who has the thankless task of surveying passengers coming off their flights. She also happens to be a lonely spinster who lives near her paranoid mother and finds the prospect of another failed blind date excruciating. Kate and Harvey meet-cute at a Heathrow lounge at their lowest emotional points, and they start to bond over long walks along London's South Bank. She convinces him to go to Susan's reception, and he agrees only if Kate becomes his date. The rest of the plot follows the story arc you would expect.
In perhaps a conscious move, Hoffman seems to be channeling a bit of Benjamin Braddock's schlubby, obsessive nature in "The Graduate" over forty years later. He is at his best when we feel Harvey's rejection in isolation, but the assertive approach the 71-year-old actor takes in courting Kate is challenging to embrace. Thompson, on the other hand, is a pure joy as Kate because she plays against the grain of what could have been a victim character. She wears Kate's disappointment in such a convincingly objective manner that her moments of heartache attain greater resonance. Eileen Atkins and Kathy Baker have just a few scenes to bring their characters to life, Kate's dotty mother and Harvey's still-resentful ex-wife, respectively. London looks pretty inviting thanks to John de Borman's crisp cinematography, though Dickon Hinchliffe's tinkling music punctuates the proceedings excessively. The 2009 DVD contains a nice audio commentary track with Hoffman (recorded separately), Hopkins and a particularly acerbic Thompson. The sixteen-minute featurette reflects the same personalities in a standard making-of format, although both this and the theatrical trailer give away too much of the plot.
The story focuses on Harvey Shine, a divorced jingle writer whose career seems to be waning in the face of more youthful talent. At the same time, his daughter Susan is getting married in England, so he is anxious to offset his professional disappointments with a family reunion he really needs. However, their estrangement turns out to be deeper than expected since Susan tells him that she has already asked her rugged, engaging stepfather to give her away at the wedding. When he concludes that it is he who has become the family outsider, he meets Kate Walker, an airport employee who has the thankless task of surveying passengers coming off their flights. She also happens to be a lonely spinster who lives near her paranoid mother and finds the prospect of another failed blind date excruciating. Kate and Harvey meet-cute at a Heathrow lounge at their lowest emotional points, and they start to bond over long walks along London's South Bank. She convinces him to go to Susan's reception, and he agrees only if Kate becomes his date. The rest of the plot follows the story arc you would expect.
In perhaps a conscious move, Hoffman seems to be channeling a bit of Benjamin Braddock's schlubby, obsessive nature in "The Graduate" over forty years later. He is at his best when we feel Harvey's rejection in isolation, but the assertive approach the 71-year-old actor takes in courting Kate is challenging to embrace. Thompson, on the other hand, is a pure joy as Kate because she plays against the grain of what could have been a victim character. She wears Kate's disappointment in such a convincingly objective manner that her moments of heartache attain greater resonance. Eileen Atkins and Kathy Baker have just a few scenes to bring their characters to life, Kate's dotty mother and Harvey's still-resentful ex-wife, respectively. London looks pretty inviting thanks to John de Borman's crisp cinematography, though Dickon Hinchliffe's tinkling music punctuates the proceedings excessively. The 2009 DVD contains a nice audio commentary track with Hoffman (recorded separately), Hopkins and a particularly acerbic Thompson. The sixteen-minute featurette reflects the same personalities in a standard making-of format, although both this and the theatrical trailer give away too much of the plot.
Shocking is the word
ryancm2 July 2009
I am absolutely shocked to see a modern day movie made that's devoid of special effects; explosions; fast cut editing; no foul language; no nudity; no vicious killings; no villains; no CGI. This movie was so refreshing for what it is. Tells a coherent story with no "shock ending", with actors who can ACT and not run around and look stunning with all kinds of make-up and fancy costumes. Also nice to see a movie made for ADULTS and not tweens or kiddies. Of course it was a box office dud, but who cares. Just wish more movies of this ilk are made and if only seen by a few people who love movies the way movies were meant to be made. Story, direction, acting and nice locales. Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson make a terrific team and would like to see them in a film again, not in tiny character parts, but as leads such as this.
Excellent Performances
Michael_Elliott3 February 2009
Last Chance Harvey (2008)
**** (out of 4)
Dustin Hoffman plays Harvey Shine, a man on his way to London for his daughter's wedding but at home facing problems with his job. When he lands in London he learns that his daughter doesn't want him walking her down the aisle. Hurt, he goes to the airport bar where he meets a woman (Emma Thompson) also facing her own share of problems. The two hit it off and head out for the night hoping they can find comfort in each other. I wasn't sure what to expect walking into this movie but it was certainly very worthwhile and I must admit that this was one of the most memorable movies of 2008. The movie isn't brilliant but I don't think it was trying to be. The movie doesn't have a lot to say about relationships nor is it trying to be deep or thoughtful. The movie just tries to be entertaining and lets two great actors do their thing and the end result is something very moving, touching and at times funny. I was really surprised at how depressing the movie was but the screenplay allows both characters, and for that matter the viewer, to hit rock bottom in depression because the eventual climb up. I give screenwriter/director Hopkins a lot of credit for trying to stay as real as possible without trying to go over the top with any of its subject matter. To me the film felt very real and that's hard to find these days especially for a romantic comedy. Hoffman, one of our greatest character actors, does a masterful job here and really turns in his most memorable performance in several years. It was so much pleasure seeing Hoffman work this character because of the charm and pain he brings to the role. I've always found Hoffman to be a great comic actor and working with charm is a strong suit for him and that's on full display here. That smile of his mixed with his swooning ways were great to watch and he really nails it. The depressing scenes are brilliantly done as well with Hoffman replying a lot on facial gestures and not words. Many of these depressing scenes are done without words so Hoffman must rely on other emotions. Thompson is just as good and keeps up with Hoffman making the two the perfect couple that you really want to see together. Thompson's issues in the film are a lot different than Hoffman's but she too is able to be charming, funny and sad as well. Kathy Baker, James Brolin and Richard Schiff are all very good in their supporting roles. Again, this is the type of film that just lets the actors do their thing and to me it really comes off excellent in the end. I didn't like what happened to Hoffman's character towards the end as I felt the movie should have ended the scene earlier but this is just a minor issue. Seeing Hoffman and Thompson work their magic was great fun even though the more depressing scenes. It's a shame to see this movie not doing so well at the box office but it's true people enjoy more lightweight stuff. Oh well, as it's really their loss.
**** (out of 4)
Dustin Hoffman plays Harvey Shine, a man on his way to London for his daughter's wedding but at home facing problems with his job. When he lands in London he learns that his daughter doesn't want him walking her down the aisle. Hurt, he goes to the airport bar where he meets a woman (Emma Thompson) also facing her own share of problems. The two hit it off and head out for the night hoping they can find comfort in each other. I wasn't sure what to expect walking into this movie but it was certainly very worthwhile and I must admit that this was one of the most memorable movies of 2008. The movie isn't brilliant but I don't think it was trying to be. The movie doesn't have a lot to say about relationships nor is it trying to be deep or thoughtful. The movie just tries to be entertaining and lets two great actors do their thing and the end result is something very moving, touching and at times funny. I was really surprised at how depressing the movie was but the screenplay allows both characters, and for that matter the viewer, to hit rock bottom in depression because the eventual climb up. I give screenwriter/director Hopkins a lot of credit for trying to stay as real as possible without trying to go over the top with any of its subject matter. To me the film felt very real and that's hard to find these days especially for a romantic comedy. Hoffman, one of our greatest character actors, does a masterful job here and really turns in his most memorable performance in several years. It was so much pleasure seeing Hoffman work this character because of the charm and pain he brings to the role. I've always found Hoffman to be a great comic actor and working with charm is a strong suit for him and that's on full display here. That smile of his mixed with his swooning ways were great to watch and he really nails it. The depressing scenes are brilliantly done as well with Hoffman replying a lot on facial gestures and not words. Many of these depressing scenes are done without words so Hoffman must rely on other emotions. Thompson is just as good and keeps up with Hoffman making the two the perfect couple that you really want to see together. Thompson's issues in the film are a lot different than Hoffman's but she too is able to be charming, funny and sad as well. Kathy Baker, James Brolin and Richard Schiff are all very good in their supporting roles. Again, this is the type of film that just lets the actors do their thing and to me it really comes off excellent in the end. I didn't like what happened to Hoffman's character towards the end as I felt the movie should have ended the scene earlier but this is just a minor issue. Seeing Hoffman and Thompson work their magic was great fun even though the more depressing scenes. It's a shame to see this movie not doing so well at the box office but it's true people enjoy more lightweight stuff. Oh well, as it's really their loss.
Change-of-life film, hope of fall romance
brian_r_wright12 November 2009
It's going to be a stretch for John Q. American to identify with Harvey Shine. He's a New York musician whose youthful ambition was to play jazz piano professionally, but his career has instead found him writing jingles for television ads. Which brings in plenty of money and sets up his family in that New York-to-London artistic social strata, where many of the dependents on such wealth regard it as a birthright... to go to the right schools, to have the right relationships, to know the right people, to be seen in the right society pages, and so on.
Harvey's wife Jean (Kathy Baker) and daughter Susan (Liane Balaban) do an excellent job of pegging out the superficiality meter... though toward the end of the movie they tone it down some.
...
For my complete review of this movie and for other movie and book reviews, please visit my site TheCoffeeCoaster.com.
Brian Wright Copyright 2009
Harvey's wife Jean (Kathy Baker) and daughter Susan (Liane Balaban) do an excellent job of pegging out the superficiality meter... though toward the end of the movie they tone it down some.
...
For my complete review of this movie and for other movie and book reviews, please visit my site TheCoffeeCoaster.com.
Brian Wright Copyright 2009
Predictable but Entertaining
mrvirgo21 November 2008
This movie is about a socially awkward American man and British woman who meet in London, get to like one another and may have a future together. The plot has been done a zillion times. I pretty much knew what was going to happen twenty minutes into the film. What saves the film from being one huge predictable snooze fest is that the author is clever enough not to fall into too many clichés so things seem possible if not probable. And there is the excellent casting of Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. Their characters are quirky enough to be believable and both are very sympathetic. And there's no silly Hollywood ending with rockets bursting and doves flying into the sunset. There's a chance they might make it as a couple despite differences in age, culture and countries or they might be in for a huge disappointment and hurt--something both have known in their lives.
If you're expecting a movie that will entertain, be free of gratuitous sex scenes and violence with a charming backdrop of London landmarks, then this film is for you.
If you're expecting a movie that will entertain, be free of gratuitous sex scenes and violence with a charming backdrop of London landmarks, then this film is for you.
Such a Sweet Film!~!
Roxburyfunny123 January 2009
This was such a genuine film with a lot of heart. I loved the story line for one. It was not over the top or extremely dramatic. Not only with the script but I did not expect those performances from either one of the main actors. Dustin Hoffman who I within the last few years have discovered his genius and wonderful acting talent. His smile just lights up the screen and you feel so sad for his character because its like you want to fix everything for him because within 48 hours you see things for him fall dramatically. Emma Thompson can do no wrong. Every film she does she plays her character to fullest whether it be a house wife, nanny, or crazy teacher she can do it all. This role for her seemed like it was a fun one and with a lot of heart. I especially love her line "Shall we walk" because I think to find someone who you can walk with and talk for hours and you don't care where you are going because you are so caught in the conversation that nothing else matters. That to me is so romantic and its not overly done, its simple and sweet. All that was missing was a song from Benton Paul called I only see you at the wedding. That would have been so wonderful. The cast though small was great I especially loved all scenes with the mother because I seen her and several of the cast members in many films and television. The daughter was great and she is like me, I want to make sure I am not hurting anyone's feelings and that everyone is OK and happy. The end was perfect and it ended it simply and sweet. Just go see it and enjoy, I recommend for those who are in the movie spirit!~!
Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman make a difference...
yris200231 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Last chance Harvey contains all the necessary qualities for a movie portraying the possible mature, but insecure and difficult, love story between two grown-ups, without risking resulting pathetic or unrealistic. Indeed, it distinguishes itself as delicate, sensitive, discrete and never too emphatic. We do not know much about Kate's and Harvey's previous lives, especially Kate's one, but can perceive clearly that disillusionment is still affecting their present lives. They no longer expect much from encounters, appointments, and do not believe in special occasions, however, they still believe in true affection and give themselves a chance, with no emphasis, no great vows, no high-sounding words. They just want to try, with all that sense and fear of failure that only life-experience can provide. And that's what I really appreciated throughout the movie: it intelligently lacks excess and passion, which would have sounded off-site, clichè, and improbable. The last scene where Kate simply asks Harvey to have a walk, without feeling the necessity to promise anything except her being there, is truly moving: we can perceive the sincerity of two conscious people, who do not know, despite age and experience, how everything will turn out, and if their relationship will work out, but know perfectly that time, personal knowledge and deep mutual understanding are the necessary components of any possible relation. The pairing of these two characters works perfectly, thanks to the great interpretations by Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman, we have known them for a long time as talented actors, but I think it should not have been easy for them, used to consolidated characters fit for them, mainly for the always impeccable Emma Thompson, more at ease with roles requiring great technique and not used to roles where she has to reveal human frailty, and a more natural acting is required. Indeeed, their acting sounds very simple and natural, and soon gets the sympathy of the viewer. A movie to be valued for its sobriety and intelligence.
Dreary and unsatisfying rom-com
LilyDaleLady28 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Two stars here, but only for the radiant Emma Thompson, who can rarely put a foot wrong and on sentiment for Dustin Hoffman, who has done so much good work over many decades. Hoffman tries earnestly here, but the script, by director Joel Hopkins, is labored and stilted, and the comedy mostly falls flat while the romance is unconvincing.
This is one of those films where virtually everything has been explained in advance by the trailers: the two "middle-aged misfits", the slight of Harry's daughter choosing her stepfather to give her away at her wedding. The film tries far too hard for the first 1/2 hour or so to present both people (but especially Harry) as pathetic losers, with wretched jobs and lonely lives, and seemingly never having had any other serious relationships for the last twenty years at least.
Sorry, but that seems like an awful stretch of imagination given that Kate is really lovely, charming and good humored. The script is making some very tired assumptions about the presumed "ghastliness" of a single woman's life, i.e., she must be childless, sex-starved, lonely, desperate to be fixed up on blind dates.
I'm sure other reviewers have commented on the big age gap between co-stars. Yes, it happens a lot, but you feel like the film is trying to suggest that 71 year old Hoffman is a very reasonable "catch" for 49 year old Thompson, when in fact he is about the same age as Eileen Atkins, who is playing Kate's MOTHER. Why does it seem so appropriate to most Hollywood directors and screenwriters that a woman would desire to have a romance with a guy old enough by far to be her DAD? Speaking of that, I think Dustin Hoffman is still quite attractive and looks healthy and vital -- but he looks his age. And that age is a good 15-20 years too old for this role, which calls for a man still in his prime working years, and not a decade into social security. Really, despite his considerable charm and star power, he is badly and even cruelly miscast.
The script labors to make Harry a "loser"; he's not merely a talented musician forced to write commercial music to survive, no he also has to get fired. His wife has happily remarried, but Harry apparently hasn't had a relationship of any sort for two decades. His daughter hasn't simply not seen him in a while (she lives in London); she has to despise him enough to want to cut him entirely out of wedding and even sticks him in a distant hotel.
That begs some other inconsistencies: Harry seems to be not just a composer but on the staff of a big ad agency as an account executive. If true, he wouldn't be a sad sack loser but wealthy and successful. After the painful scene where his daughter tells him she wants her stepdad to give her away (almost at the last minute, and very cruelly), we skip to the actual ceremony -- which is at a justice of the peace, very informal (the bride wears a casual dress), and seemingly NO ONE gives her away.
(Speaking of that, it is somewhat minor, but its in the FAQ...it makes no sense to have a casual wedding at a judge's office, THEN change into a very formal bridal gown to EAT DINNER IN. If anything, a formal bride might change into a short dress for the reception so she can dance more easily! It's as if the writers have never been to a real wedding.)
Mostly, what struck me was the superficiality of Harry and Kate's relationship. They meet at a late lunch on a Saturday afternoon, talk and ride a train for just a few hours (she's at a class, with him waiting outside for much of it!). Then they attend the reception, where Harry rather rudely ignores Kate.
BUT AFTER THIS trivial half-day together, obviously they are each others A. true love! and B. "solve" one another's lonely meaningless lives (because someone ELSE must appear to solve your angsty middle-aged loneliness, rather than, say, yourself). Not to mention, Harry's going to move across the Atlantic to be with this woman he just met, and mostly ignored the previous evening!
Though innocent in feeling, this is the kind of film that makes me feel angry as a woman. Why does a youngish and lovely woman like Kate have to be painted as so desperate and loser-ish? Why does the script make her seem like a spinster who can't even get a date -- and a pathetic mama's girl, who can't spend 20 minutes without her mom phoning her? (British cellphones, apparently, have no "off" switch.) Mostly, why would she find a depressed, angry, rude man so irresistible (especially one 22 years her senior!) -- is it that she must be grateful that ANY man will have her?
Lastly -- like way to many films and scripts today, too much of the action and dialog is done through cell phones. Yes, people do use them a lot in real life -- but in a movie, it's about as interesting as watching characters floss their teeth. We want to watch human beings interact, be emotional and witty and moving -- not yack into tiny black boxes. This is just lazy scriptwriting 101.
Frankly, "Last Chance Harry" is a very labored and forgettable effort. And it is time for filmmakers to start pairing actors and actresses who are somewhat reasonably of an age, and stop acting as if a beautiful woman like Emma Thompson is believable as a pitiable and desperate spinster...she IS NOT.
This is one of those films where virtually everything has been explained in advance by the trailers: the two "middle-aged misfits", the slight of Harry's daughter choosing her stepfather to give her away at her wedding. The film tries far too hard for the first 1/2 hour or so to present both people (but especially Harry) as pathetic losers, with wretched jobs and lonely lives, and seemingly never having had any other serious relationships for the last twenty years at least.
Sorry, but that seems like an awful stretch of imagination given that Kate is really lovely, charming and good humored. The script is making some very tired assumptions about the presumed "ghastliness" of a single woman's life, i.e., she must be childless, sex-starved, lonely, desperate to be fixed up on blind dates.
I'm sure other reviewers have commented on the big age gap between co-stars. Yes, it happens a lot, but you feel like the film is trying to suggest that 71 year old Hoffman is a very reasonable "catch" for 49 year old Thompson, when in fact he is about the same age as Eileen Atkins, who is playing Kate's MOTHER. Why does it seem so appropriate to most Hollywood directors and screenwriters that a woman would desire to have a romance with a guy old enough by far to be her DAD? Speaking of that, I think Dustin Hoffman is still quite attractive and looks healthy and vital -- but he looks his age. And that age is a good 15-20 years too old for this role, which calls for a man still in his prime working years, and not a decade into social security. Really, despite his considerable charm and star power, he is badly and even cruelly miscast.
The script labors to make Harry a "loser"; he's not merely a talented musician forced to write commercial music to survive, no he also has to get fired. His wife has happily remarried, but Harry apparently hasn't had a relationship of any sort for two decades. His daughter hasn't simply not seen him in a while (she lives in London); she has to despise him enough to want to cut him entirely out of wedding and even sticks him in a distant hotel.
That begs some other inconsistencies: Harry seems to be not just a composer but on the staff of a big ad agency as an account executive. If true, he wouldn't be a sad sack loser but wealthy and successful. After the painful scene where his daughter tells him she wants her stepdad to give her away (almost at the last minute, and very cruelly), we skip to the actual ceremony -- which is at a justice of the peace, very informal (the bride wears a casual dress), and seemingly NO ONE gives her away.
(Speaking of that, it is somewhat minor, but its in the FAQ...it makes no sense to have a casual wedding at a judge's office, THEN change into a very formal bridal gown to EAT DINNER IN. If anything, a formal bride might change into a short dress for the reception so she can dance more easily! It's as if the writers have never been to a real wedding.)
Mostly, what struck me was the superficiality of Harry and Kate's relationship. They meet at a late lunch on a Saturday afternoon, talk and ride a train for just a few hours (she's at a class, with him waiting outside for much of it!). Then they attend the reception, where Harry rather rudely ignores Kate.
BUT AFTER THIS trivial half-day together, obviously they are each others A. true love! and B. "solve" one another's lonely meaningless lives (because someone ELSE must appear to solve your angsty middle-aged loneliness, rather than, say, yourself). Not to mention, Harry's going to move across the Atlantic to be with this woman he just met, and mostly ignored the previous evening!
Though innocent in feeling, this is the kind of film that makes me feel angry as a woman. Why does a youngish and lovely woman like Kate have to be painted as so desperate and loser-ish? Why does the script make her seem like a spinster who can't even get a date -- and a pathetic mama's girl, who can't spend 20 minutes without her mom phoning her? (British cellphones, apparently, have no "off" switch.) Mostly, why would she find a depressed, angry, rude man so irresistible (especially one 22 years her senior!) -- is it that she must be grateful that ANY man will have her?
Lastly -- like way to many films and scripts today, too much of the action and dialog is done through cell phones. Yes, people do use them a lot in real life -- but in a movie, it's about as interesting as watching characters floss their teeth. We want to watch human beings interact, be emotional and witty and moving -- not yack into tiny black boxes. This is just lazy scriptwriting 101.
Frankly, "Last Chance Harry" is a very labored and forgettable effort. And it is time for filmmakers to start pairing actors and actresses who are somewhat reasonably of an age, and stop acting as if a beautiful woman like Emma Thompson is believable as a pitiable and desperate spinster...she IS NOT.
Directed by a Virgo
rooprect24 March 2014
I'm not really in the habit of investigating the astrological qualities of directors, but when I checked IMDb's bio for writer/director Joel Hopkins, I immediately noticed it says he's a Virgo. "Ahhh," I said knowingly and leaned back, sipping on a chalice of cherry kool aid which I pretended was the blood of my enemies. I'm a scorpio.
The stereotypical male Virgo qualities read like a description of the main character and the film's tone in general: "Quiet, undemonstrative and introvert. Gentle, helpful and sympathetic by nature, the Virgo men often face criticism for being finicky as they are very particular about how they want things to be."
"Last Chance Harvey" is a quiet, undemonstrative and introverted film with a gentleness and precise delivery. It's the story of a couple of "5th wheels" (played by Dustin Hoffman & Emma Thompson) who suffer the daily indignity of slowly realizing that they don't fit in anywhere. Dustin's character is a divorced, failed father who has been squeezed out of his family by a more capable new step father in the mix. He is a TV composer by trade, but his archaic, old school approach has become obsolete in light of the snappier, edgier kids taking over the industry. He doesn't seem to have any friends or any life at all. Emma plays a similar character; she has a job as a survey taker at the airport where every day she is ignored or brushed aside by the thousands of people with more important schedules. She's single, awkward, cynical, and is the kind of person who ends up on dates with men who don't notice when she leaves.
The movie asks the question: do these people have what it takes to break out of their rut? Or will they forever be hopeless schleps feeling sorry for themselves and embracing obscurity? It's obvious what they should do, but will they do it? And that's the mystery that makes this an interesting and original romcom.
Also there's the fact that there aren't a whole lot of romcoms about late-40 and 50-something characters, let alone with great actors like this, so that itself is a novelty.
Another bonus is some very nice London scenery. Is it me, or do all romcoms happen in New York City or LA these days? London, there's a refreshing change. And it was nice (albeit a little unrealistic) to see bright, sunny days in every shot, really highlighting the urban charm.
So, like the Virgo description, there's not a lot of flashy drama, pizazz, car chases and crazy hijinks in this film. The humor is low key and "British" (for example, an ongoing subplot is Emma's cloistered mother who is convinced that their new neighbor is a creepy serial killer, so she stands at the window staring at him all day). And the "conflict" in Dustin & Emma's relationship isn't any great plot twist but rather the simple question of whether they're so entrenched in misery that they'll sabotage their own chance for happiness.
Dustin & Emma displayed a great on-screen chemistry, not unlike they briefly had (just 1 scene) in the excellent film "Stranger than Fiction" a few years earlier. In fact, after seeing this movie I had to google if they were an item in real life. Alas, apparently not.
In the end it was nothing in particular that made this an enjoyable film, but rather it was all the little exceptional qualities like the ones I've mentioned that made this a winner. If you like this sort of stuff.
If, on the other hand, you find yourself wanting a somewhat more spontaneous, impetuous, explosive movie to watch, check out an Aries director like Quentin Tarantino.
The stereotypical male Virgo qualities read like a description of the main character and the film's tone in general: "Quiet, undemonstrative and introvert. Gentle, helpful and sympathetic by nature, the Virgo men often face criticism for being finicky as they are very particular about how they want things to be."
"Last Chance Harvey" is a quiet, undemonstrative and introverted film with a gentleness and precise delivery. It's the story of a couple of "5th wheels" (played by Dustin Hoffman & Emma Thompson) who suffer the daily indignity of slowly realizing that they don't fit in anywhere. Dustin's character is a divorced, failed father who has been squeezed out of his family by a more capable new step father in the mix. He is a TV composer by trade, but his archaic, old school approach has become obsolete in light of the snappier, edgier kids taking over the industry. He doesn't seem to have any friends or any life at all. Emma plays a similar character; she has a job as a survey taker at the airport where every day she is ignored or brushed aside by the thousands of people with more important schedules. She's single, awkward, cynical, and is the kind of person who ends up on dates with men who don't notice when she leaves.
The movie asks the question: do these people have what it takes to break out of their rut? Or will they forever be hopeless schleps feeling sorry for themselves and embracing obscurity? It's obvious what they should do, but will they do it? And that's the mystery that makes this an interesting and original romcom.
Also there's the fact that there aren't a whole lot of romcoms about late-40 and 50-something characters, let alone with great actors like this, so that itself is a novelty.
Another bonus is some very nice London scenery. Is it me, or do all romcoms happen in New York City or LA these days? London, there's a refreshing change. And it was nice (albeit a little unrealistic) to see bright, sunny days in every shot, really highlighting the urban charm.
So, like the Virgo description, there's not a lot of flashy drama, pizazz, car chases and crazy hijinks in this film. The humor is low key and "British" (for example, an ongoing subplot is Emma's cloistered mother who is convinced that their new neighbor is a creepy serial killer, so she stands at the window staring at him all day). And the "conflict" in Dustin & Emma's relationship isn't any great plot twist but rather the simple question of whether they're so entrenched in misery that they'll sabotage their own chance for happiness.
Dustin & Emma displayed a great on-screen chemistry, not unlike they briefly had (just 1 scene) in the excellent film "Stranger than Fiction" a few years earlier. In fact, after seeing this movie I had to google if they were an item in real life. Alas, apparently not.
In the end it was nothing in particular that made this an enjoyable film, but rather it was all the little exceptional qualities like the ones I've mentioned that made this a winner. If you like this sort of stuff.
If, on the other hand, you find yourself wanting a somewhat more spontaneous, impetuous, explosive movie to watch, check out an Aries director like Quentin Tarantino.
How people meet - possibly realistic and sweet
jhsteel23 November 2009
I liked it because of the realism in the performances and the portrayal of 2 lonely people meeting and agreeing to keep each other company, and then realising that they like each other. It made me think about how people meet in real life, and there are all sorts of ways. If someone is really seeking a friend, they can find one - that is the message for me. Dustin Hoffman is always charming and Emma Thompson is wonderful at showing real emotion in a way that draws the viewer in. I was crying at one point, because of the poignancy of what was happening, even though it was a simple plot and appeared to be predictable. The detail of what happened was unexpected and it was worth seeing, especially if you are a bit older and single! There is a lot of resonance there and a lot of entertainment value.
perfect
Kirpianuscus22 December 2017
...at first sigh. and not only. because it is the expected love story film. bitter, amusing, realistic, with few crumbs of fairy tale, fascinating for the lead actors, escaping from many cliches and using part of the most familiar from them, proposing a mature romance, a real rare virtue among the romantic films of the last decades, being more than a film with Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman , elegant, nostalgic, familiar and the right choice for middle age public. so, just perfect. sure, in a special sense.
Not that good a film with these 2 fine actors.
jaybob6 May 2009
Warning: Spoilers
When you have 2 powerful stars like Dustin Hoffman & Emma Thompson, one would expect at the very least an entertaining film.
This is a 93 long bore, with only few enjoyable moments.
The problem is the screenplay.
Joel Hopkins whose last movie was a independent film in 2001, both wrote & directed this movie. Miss Thompson who is a very gifted writer, should have written the screenplay. The 2 stars looked embarrassed in many scenes with the cliché dialog they had to say.
The movie was made in London UK, the various locations were lovingly photographed., In fact the entire production was the best part of the film. The supporting cast had near nothing to do.
Its easy to see why this film did not have a wide run, regretfully it did not deserve one.
I was bored in many scenes, I expected better from these 2 performers.
Ratings: **1/2 (out of 4) 73 points (out of 100) IMDb 6 (out of 10)
This is a 93 long bore, with only few enjoyable moments.
The problem is the screenplay.
Joel Hopkins whose last movie was a independent film in 2001, both wrote & directed this movie. Miss Thompson who is a very gifted writer, should have written the screenplay. The 2 stars looked embarrassed in many scenes with the cliché dialog they had to say.
The movie was made in London UK, the various locations were lovingly photographed., In fact the entire production was the best part of the film. The supporting cast had near nothing to do.
Its easy to see why this film did not have a wide run, regretfully it did not deserve one.
I was bored in many scenes, I expected better from these 2 performers.
Ratings: **1/2 (out of 4) 73 points (out of 100) IMDb 6 (out of 10)
Take a chance on Harvey, folks, this is a sweet, amusing and touching film, with two very talented stars
inkblot1121 January 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Harvey Shine (Dustin Hoffman) is having a day from Hades. First, this talented jingle writer learns that he has lost a major account at work. The company in question decided to go with younger composers and Harvey is out. Then, arriving in London for his daughter Susan's wedding, he finds that he is the lone family member at his hotel. Most everyone else is residing together in a large, rented home. Finally, as a dagger straight to the heart, his beautiful offspring tells hims that she is asking her stepfather, Brian (James Brolin) to give her away, instead of her biological father. This is because Harvey hasn't always been their for his daughter and she feels somewhat closer to Brian. Very hurt, Harvey makes plans to attend the wedding ceremony only, skip the reception, and fly back home to New York. But, a traffic jam makes Harvey miss his flight and he is stuck. Having lunch in a restaurant near the airport, he runs into airline worker, Kate (Emma Thompson) who he brushed off the day before, as she tried to get him to make a few comments about his journey to London. Now, the two strike up a conversation, that turns into a shared lunch, that, unbelievably, turns into a day together, culminating in Kate's insistence on Harvey attending Susan's evening reception. With this lovely woman by his side, this jingle writer is coming out of his funk and low spirits. But, is there a future for Kate and Harvey? This is a lovely romantic comedy with, what a rarity, middle-aged characters. But, what could have been a run-of-the-mill production has been transformed by the two stars, Hoffman and Thompson. They can take a simple line and make it special; they are definitely the major reason to see this one. That said, the script is really quite nice, as is the clean and serene direction, the London setting, the nice costumes (loved Thompson's little black reception dress), and the production values. So, do take a chance on Harvey and company, even if you have to spend your last spare change. This is a keeper for all those who adore tales of love.
Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson are joyous to watch
HeathCliff-22 December 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This modest story has been told a million times - loveless singles who find each other. And yes, the story is way predictable, as American Dustin Hoffman ventures to London for his daughter's wedding, cross-cutting with British Emma Thompson struggling with a possessive mother, a rote job and impinging loneliness. You know what's coming. And it does. But the finesse with which Dustin and Emma handle their acting chores, squeezing every ounce of humanity from the script, and adding a lifetime of acting skills to paint their characters, is a joy to experience. The joy isn't discovery of the predictable plot developments, but of two pros filling the screen with their brand of humanity. But the script, for the most part, is nuanced and natural, rather than sitcom-y or broad, and doesn't go for the obvious line. There are rough edges in Emma Thompson's character delineation, as well as her mother's sketchy storyline, but for the most part -- when Dustin and Emma are on-screen - it's movie magic. With a lower case M, since there are no fireworks or Rocky-line denouement. But it's a special movie in its own way.
I'm gonna dance your socks off.....
FlashCallahan27 March 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Harvey Shine is in London for the weekend for his daughter's wedding. His work in New York preoccupies him: he writes music for ads, and he knows his boss is pushing him aside for younger talent.
With family he's also on the sidelines - long divorced, his wife remarried, her husband closer to his daughter than he. His path crosses that of Kate Walker, unmarried, her life becoming that of a spinster, set up by friends on blind dates leading nowhere.
After Harvey's no good terrible day, he chats Kate up at a Heathrow bar. She's not interested.
Where can this conversation lead?.....
Another year, and another movie about two lost souls trying to find their reasoning in life. They bump into each other at first, not being very friendly, and then near miss each other on a couple of other occasions. she succumbs to him in about two minutes and agree to go out.
It sounds very predictable, and to be truthful, it's not very original AND highly predictable, it's that you just cant help but love the two main characters.
Hoffman and Thompson work great together and the film sparkles whenever they share the screen, and the London setting, just makes it that little more romantic.
It looks a lot different to Curtis's or Winner's Depictions of London, as they are just a little bit too touristy, where as this London is more intimate and not in your face as London would appear to be.
It's as if the place could be the third person in this mini love affair, as it adds that little bit more to the film.
Even though the outcome of the film is highly predictable, it's still a lot of fun to watch.
With family he's also on the sidelines - long divorced, his wife remarried, her husband closer to his daughter than he. His path crosses that of Kate Walker, unmarried, her life becoming that of a spinster, set up by friends on blind dates leading nowhere.
After Harvey's no good terrible day, he chats Kate up at a Heathrow bar. She's not interested.
Where can this conversation lead?.....
Another year, and another movie about two lost souls trying to find their reasoning in life. They bump into each other at first, not being very friendly, and then near miss each other on a couple of other occasions. she succumbs to him in about two minutes and agree to go out.
It sounds very predictable, and to be truthful, it's not very original AND highly predictable, it's that you just cant help but love the two main characters.
Hoffman and Thompson work great together and the film sparkles whenever they share the screen, and the London setting, just makes it that little more romantic.
It looks a lot different to Curtis's or Winner's Depictions of London, as they are just a little bit too touristy, where as this London is more intimate and not in your face as London would appear to be.
It's as if the place could be the third person in this mini love affair, as it adds that little bit more to the film.
Even though the outcome of the film is highly predictable, it's still a lot of fun to watch.
Shamelss Botch; Blame Director / Screenwriter; Stars are Fine
Danusha_Goska20 January 2009
I liked Emma Thompson before seeing "Last Chance Harvey," but while watching this wretched little botch of a "film," I really came to love Emma Thompson. That she could glimmer like the sun in such a waste of celluloid is proof that she is a gift to the film-goer.
Aside from Thompson's sunny, intelligent, witty and poignant performance, this movie is a dreadful waste. Even Dustin Hoffman, who I thought could NEVER bore me, is all but invisible here in a thankless, limp, derivative, pointless, script that would have to rise up several notches to reach "Lifeline TV movie" quality.
"Last Chance Harvey" is meant to be a romantic comedy. If, at any point in the movie, Dustin Hoffman's Harvey character suddenly whipped out a knife and stabbed Kate (Emma Thompson) to death, and it was revealed that the entire time he was a crazed stalker who has murdered women in order to steal their life savings, that scene would have fit beautifully with everything that had gone before. The film is that devoid of romance, that devoid of comedy, that devoid of characterization. All we know about Harvey is that he drinks too much, and he is a social and economic loser who has failed his wife, his daughter, and his boss. Thompson endures his awkward insistence on taking her time, but why? Nothing is believable, nothing is at stake, nothing happens.
I won't tell you how it ends, but I can say that I kept urging Emma Thompson's character to walk away from Harvey, permanently.
This is all, obviously, the fault of the director and screenwriter, whose name I won't even mention here. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I just want to warn viewers away from this movie.
Some viewers argue that even though the movie is not that good, older people should go see it, because Hoffman is 71 and Thompson is 49. Baloney. Why should audiences accept shlocky, inept, insipid, lifeless movies just because they are older? Older audiences deserve just as much craft, art, mystery, profundity, dollars visibly splayed on screen as any teenage male comic book action hero fan.
"Last Chance Harvey" is the movie industry saying to older people: "Look. We know you aren't chomping at the bit to see the latest Batman or teen gross out comedy. We know you are desperate. We know that once we plunk Hoffman and Thompson into this movie, and put them both in London, you'll come see it. So don't expect a script, or a plot, or any direction, or production values, either, other than costuming Hoffman and Thompson in matching trench coats."
Aside from Thompson's sunny, intelligent, witty and poignant performance, this movie is a dreadful waste. Even Dustin Hoffman, who I thought could NEVER bore me, is all but invisible here in a thankless, limp, derivative, pointless, script that would have to rise up several notches to reach "Lifeline TV movie" quality.
"Last Chance Harvey" is meant to be a romantic comedy. If, at any point in the movie, Dustin Hoffman's Harvey character suddenly whipped out a knife and stabbed Kate (Emma Thompson) to death, and it was revealed that the entire time he was a crazed stalker who has murdered women in order to steal their life savings, that scene would have fit beautifully with everything that had gone before. The film is that devoid of romance, that devoid of comedy, that devoid of characterization. All we know about Harvey is that he drinks too much, and he is a social and economic loser who has failed his wife, his daughter, and his boss. Thompson endures his awkward insistence on taking her time, but why? Nothing is believable, nothing is at stake, nothing happens.
I won't tell you how it ends, but I can say that I kept urging Emma Thompson's character to walk away from Harvey, permanently.
This is all, obviously, the fault of the director and screenwriter, whose name I won't even mention here. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I just want to warn viewers away from this movie.
Some viewers argue that even though the movie is not that good, older people should go see it, because Hoffman is 71 and Thompson is 49. Baloney. Why should audiences accept shlocky, inept, insipid, lifeless movies just because they are older? Older audiences deserve just as much craft, art, mystery, profundity, dollars visibly splayed on screen as any teenage male comic book action hero fan.
"Last Chance Harvey" is the movie industry saying to older people: "Look. We know you aren't chomping at the bit to see the latest Batman or teen gross out comedy. We know you are desperate. We know that once we plunk Hoffman and Thompson into this movie, and put them both in London, you'll come see it. So don't expect a script, or a plot, or any direction, or production values, either, other than costuming Hoffman and Thompson in matching trench coats."
A gentle film showcasing great work
Aziraphale61510 January 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I can see why other reviewers have called this movie boring: there are no chases, crashes, plot twists, sex scenes, or gut-busting laughs. What there is: a gentle movie featuring two wonderful actors doing superb work. Dustin Hoffman is Harvey, an old-school jingle writer who is refusing to read the writing on the wall, where his job is concerned. He flies to London where his American daughter and her American fiancé live and work, to attend the wedding. The trip starts out as something of a bust (he is somewhat cut-off from the rest of the family, for various reasons) until he meets Kate, a Heathrow Airport survey representative. Kate's life consists of her job, her writing class, her clinging mother and avoiding relationships (she is terrified of being hurt). Watching these two slowly yet quickly (it all takes place during the course of a couple of days) do the courtship dance is to see some very, very fine acting. This is a gentle, somewhat formulaic movie that would probably have not been made without these two leads. While all the actors are good, Thompson and Hoffman are what make this film.
The film does have its faults (I believe someone else mentioned the dress montage, and yes, I think Emma Thompson should have been exempted from this cliché)and can be formulaic, but overall, it was a pleasant experience.
The film does have its faults (I believe someone else mentioned the dress montage, and yes, I think Emma Thompson should have been exempted from this cliché)and can be formulaic, but overall, it was a pleasant experience.
Great actors keep this movie afloat.
gevalero23 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This is a rather slow movie full of frustrating moments with very, very few pay-offs for the audience, all of this is not to say that it is terrible film or anything close to that but had any other less likable actors taken Hoffman/Thompson's roles & had the great London settings not existed, I believe this would have undeniably been a bomb, still you end up caring so much for them and wishing things turn out OK that when a semi-happy ending arrives during the wedding party and at the moment Thompson's character blurts out her feelings, you'll leave the movie happy, or semi-happy at least. Not the greatest movie to spend $10 on a theater for but should make a pretty good rental.
An Affair to Forget
Art-7610 May 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Although it had its occasional moments, it is hard to believe that a film with Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson could be so bad. In my view that great chemistry that I expected between the two of them (and that both stars alluded to in the DVD special feature interview) never materialized. Their performance did not allow me to suspend my disbelief. I always felt I was was watching two actors at work, not real people having a real relationship.
I also found the story to be corny, predictable and unoriginal. The last straw was the obvious variation on the famous "Affair to Remember" episode regarding a missed rendezvous but this time its the gal waiting for the guy and she's not at the top of the Empire State Building.
I also found the story to be corny, predictable and unoriginal. The last straw was the obvious variation on the famous "Affair to Remember" episode regarding a missed rendezvous but this time its the gal waiting for the guy and she's not at the top of the Empire State Building.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
