In Last Chance Harvey Dustin Hoffman stars as the eponymous Harvey, who flies to London for his daughters wedding while at the same time feeling the pressure from back home in the US as his boss looks is to replace him with a more youthful employee. After a few near misses Harvey eventually encounters Kate (Emma Thompson), a women with a mundane statistics job and a love-life stuck in reverse, partly thanks to her caring for her (now recovered) ill mother. Can you guess what happens next? Of course you can, but then that isn’t a point of a rom-com. We know they’ll usually be rom at the end, how we get there, and what com is thrown in along the way, is what entertains us. Though in this particular film the comedy is toned down and we get a more adult approach to the genre (this is no Richard Curtis movie). Writer/Director Joel Hopkins unobtrusive direction and low on cliché script means the weight of the film falls on its stars shoulders. Luckily, Hoffman fits the roll of the socially awkward Harvey like a glove, but it’s Thompson who excels and her superb performance lends the film a social realism usually missing from said Curtis flicks. Along with the fine acting there are also London locations to enjoy, and wry looks at middle England life will have British viewers nodding knowingly. Some may find the whole tone slightly too cold, but, when needed, Hopkins, Hoffman and Thompson ensure there is enough heart when it counts.
The OC Film Sting Final Verdict
Though I advocate all films to be seen at the cinema, this will be a welcome addition to the rainy Sunday afternoon DVD experience. Rating: 6/10.
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