Writer: Joel Hopkins
Runtime: 92 min
It's going to be nearly impossible to write full blown reviews for every movie I see. I mean, I do have a job. And it's full-time at that. But still. If I see something, it deserves to be mentioned. So while I watched this movie about 8 days ago, I feel it's valid to go back and give my viewpoint on it, even if that viewpoint is not very complex.
It's not that the movie is bad. Rather contrary, it's a really charming little movie, starring Dustin Hoffman as Harvey, a really down on his luck loner, and Emma Thompson as Kate, a really down on her luck daughter. (Not his daughter. Just A daughter.) They really do the best they can to make Harvey seem completely inept for the first 2/3 of the movie. He's a pianist who can only get jobs writing jingles for commercials, he gets booted from his accounts in favor of younger talent, he travels to London for his daughter's wedding and is the only guest to check in to a hotel, he's overdressed to the rehearsal dinner, he fumbles with his cell phone throughout the meal, and he gives an intensely awkward toast in front of relative strangers. There's almost nothing redeeming about Harvey, save for a bit of charming sheepishness, and the other characters in the story really let him have it. His ex-wife explicitly states her concern for his dignity, and, in a refreshing turn, his eventual love interest Kate serves him a cold dish of rejection when he first tries to make conversation. I have to hand it to the filmmakers, they took the typical story of "here's a guy that fails constantly, and we have to root for him to win in the end" and put a nice, realist type spin on it. He doesn't really fail as a result of outside sources. He fails because he is forgetful and misguided. With a movie as short and as narrow-focused as Last Chance Harvey, it's easy to spot the formulas. But despite the fact that the formulas are so ingrained into our collective consciousness that we know how movies end before they even start, a LOT of filmmakers are reluctant to fiddle with them. I give Hopkins kudos for his unabashedness. (Or I would, if it were a word.)
The movie ends rather quickly. It takes Hoffman about an hour (of realtime) to charm the socks off of Kate, a woman who appears desperately helpless with men and somewhat resigned to her fate. There is only the slightest hiccup in their burgeoning relationship, one that lasts about 2 minutes of screen time, so as far as romantic comedies go, the wrenches in the way are almost negligible. All of the actors involved seemed to nail their roles, almost predestined to be cast as these characters, sometimes to the fault that such effortless performances are kind of unimpressive. But still, it's sweet, has been known to move some to tears at times, and is certain to be a movie-night hit for most couples, especially the 35-and-older variety.
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