HeathCliff-2 Review of Last Chance Harvey

Last Chance Harvey (2008)

Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson are joyous to watch

[8/10 · 2 December 2008]

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.