Thursday, January 15, 2009
News Take a chance on Emma Thompson in Harvey
Posted by Curt Holman @Curt_Holman on Thu, Jan 15, 2009 at 2:00 PM
In Last Chance Harvey’s most winning moment, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson make faces at each other. Hoffman plays Harvey Shine, a jazz musician turned frustrated composer of commercial jingles. Thompson’s Kate Walker, a book-loving airline employee, explains to him the origin of the expression “stiff upper lip” with exaggerated mouth movements.
It may be the most charming scene of any romantic comedy of the past year, but that’s less an endorsement of the well-acted but disposable Last Chance Harvey than a reflection of the shrill, sorry state of rom-coms in general. Lately, movie love stories hit their jokes so hard and rely on such predictable romantic ups and downs, human moments seldom have the chance to emerge. Last Chance Harvey director Joel Hopkins’ best talent is an instinct to give plenty of breathing room to his leads, who happen to be two of the best actors of their respective generations.
Hopkins’ screenplay, unfortunately, gives them precious little to do. Early in the film, Harvey discovers that his job is in jeopardy shortly before he flies to England for his daughter’s wedding. His boss intones, “There are no more chances, Harvey,” and then up pops the title Last Chance Harvey, in case you missed the connection. The film’s first act cuts between Kate on a disastrous first date and Harvey’s dreary humiliations at his daughter’s rehearsal dinner. As an actor late in his career, Hoffman tends to be more circumspect and less prone to showboating compared to peers such as Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, but he wrings Harvey’s midlife crisis for every shred of sympathy.
When Harvey and Kate finally begin talking and embark on a spontaneous, neverending date, the film resembles Before Sunrise for the middle-aged. Although a subplot with Kate’s fussy mother (Eileen Atkins) doesn’t really pay off, Thompson elevates Kate’s simple speeches into a kind of poetry, whether she’s fantasizing about life in Spain or regretting missed opportunities in her past. Thompson radiates such charisma that she could be a lost Hepburn, and you almost wonder why Harvey isn’t one of a crowd of suitors trailing in her wake. (She similarly stole last summer's Brideshead Revisited with a stern supporting role.) If only she had a man — or a movie — truly worthy of her.
Last Chance Harvey 2 stars Directed by Joel Hopkins. Stars Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson. Rated PG-13. Opens Fri., Jan. 9. At area theaters.
(Photo courtesy Overture Films)
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