Review: Last Chance Harvey

Title: Last Chance Harvey
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thomson, Josh Brolin
Written and Directed by: Joel Hopkins

Score: 7.5 out of 10.

I will start off with what comes to my mind when I want to write about this movie. Emma Thomson has a line in which she talks about what many people face but cannot say as succintly as her. "I am more comfortable with disappointments. In fact I wish for them". This says a lot about a person's spirits and the kind of treatment the young director Joel Hopkins gives his well crafted movie.

The movie is about Harvey who has one of most feared life situations - he is not making it big in his career, his family has left him, he is composing jingles for advertisements while all along wishes he was a Jazz Pianist and the worst thing is this - he thinks or perhaps knows that he is a mediocore composer. We find Harvey travelling to London to attend his daughter's wedding. We start liking Harvey early on during his flight to London. He tries to develop a conversation with a fellow passenger only to have that person politely shun it. We see Harvey is not offended but simply gives her the space. It seems like Harvey has a natural talent to make people hate him. It is this loveable character who goes to attend his daughter's wedding and learns that he will not be giving her away but instead her step father whom Harvey obviously hates will be giving her away. He does not want to stay for dinner. He decides to go back to NewYork. But it is here I will not reveal anything more except that Emma Thomson comes into his life. The way the relationship develops between Harvey and Kate (Thomson) is treated in a very natural and believable progression. It does not have flashy or in your face touches.

Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thomson give great performances. Emma Thomson an have a spring in her feat and dance away on the floor while immediately following it with a complex and dour performance. Hoffman is offcourse the experienced actor who is so controlled in his performance it reminded me of an acting tip I read recently about hand movement. A director is know to have said "You only get one hand movement in my drama. So be sure to use it at the right place". Dustin Hoffman does not do one extra muscle moment other than rekuired. Even at times when he has to show deep emotions he does it naturally and not in a way that says he is acting.

The director has done a good job of keeping the movie disciplined with out going for cliches and melodrama.

I give this movie a 7.5 out of 10.