cast: Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Elieen Atkins, Maggie Walker

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Rated: TV14

reviewed by: Charity Bishop
 

Life doesn't have to end after 50 and there are always second chances. That is ultimately the message of Last Chance Harvey, a smaller movie that never got much attention but is heartwarming in spite of its awkward moments.

Once a man with big dreams of becoming a famous jazz pianist, Harvey Shine (Hoffman) is now reduced to composing catchy jingles for major advertisers. Divorced and somewhat estranged from his daughter, who seems to have more affection for her new stepfather than her dear old dad, Harvey has been invited to attend her wedding in London but fears he may not have a job when he comes back because... he's too old. The new clients are more interested in being represented by the younger generation and his expertise is not really needed any more. Boarding the airplane in a bad frame of mind, he is rather rude to a Heathrow employee interested in questioning him about his flight. Unmarried in her forties, Kate Walker (Thompson) suspects she may never find anyone to share her life with. Preoccupied by her bored, overly suspicious mother (Atkins) and a failure when it comes to blind dates, Kate chooses to bury herself in classic novels and ignore the world.

Confronted with a frosty reputation from his ex-wife and daughter, Harvey decides to skip the reception and fly back home in the hopes of salvaging his job... but busy traffic leaves him stranded at the airport, where he recognizes and apologizes to Kate. The two strike up an unusual conversation over neighboring tables at the little cafe in the corner and then somehow decide to spend the afternoon together. Harvey has found someone interesting and Kate is surprised how much she likes him. But can they help balance out one another's faults, fix his relationship with his daughter, and manage to find love despite their ages? The result is a very quiet movie that audiences more accustomed to a quicker pace will no doubt find tedious, but it has some beautiful acting in it. I have had quite a respect for both participants long before now, but had never really appreciated the nuances Hoffman is capable of until seeing him in such an undignified role. Harvey is for the most part a constantly humiliated mess -- and that hurt. I think that it is easy to identify with him, to be embarrassed for him, to feel as if we too are being excluded by the people around him.

Some of the movie is not easy to watch because of these moments -- in which his family treats him like dirt, abandons him in a hotel rather than inviting him to stay at the house with the rest of them, and wants to ignore him entirely at the reception. But another point was made that I found interesting -- it was their choice to treat him like that, and his to allow himself to be treated like that. Harvey does eventually "take his life back." To a super hero it might not seem like much, but casting off timidity and being the father of the bride earned him a lot of respect not only from the people in the room, but the audience as well. Kate is flawed also, very uncertain of herself due to prolonged lack of success with men. They are a perfect team of misfits and because of that, it makes the movie more special -- because they're not both gorgeous, successful people. They are what one another need and help one another become better individuals. It is not your customary romance and nor is it a particularly exciting one, but it is a memorable one that older and younger audiences will enjoy.

There is a minor amount of sex-related comments that for the most part fly under the radar. It is unfortunate then that so many uses of the s-word show up in conversation (a dozen or so), along with two abuses of Jesus' name and a couple British profanities. Some social drinking is present. It is not perfect but cleaner than most and it's nice to see a film that explores for once an older generation finding true love -- with someone close to their own age. It might not be the movie of the year, but it is a heart warmer.