Last Chance Harvey

In Last Chance Harvey, Dustin Hoffman plays the title character as a man whose career as a jingle writer is imploding, as his daughter is about to get married 3000 miles away in London. Upon arriving in town for the wedding he's made to feel the odd man out from the start, and is even informed by his daughter that her step-dad will be giving her away instead of him. I must say that I lost a lot of sympathy for the impending bride at that point, and assuming that Mr. Hoffman was not some sort of beast as a father, her snubbing of him was likely uncalled for. Anyway, Harvey goes to a bar in order to numb his pain, meets Kate, played by Emma Thompson, who herself is not leading a very satisfied life due to an unfulfilling job, a nagging but loving mother, and no romantic prospects on the horizon. If you've seen a movie or two in your life you can probably figure out much of what happens next, but fortunately, it doesn't matter because the story is told so exceedingly well. It doesn't hurt that the film has two masters in the lead roles, and that they have turned what could have been no more that a light piece of fluff into a quite enjoyable film. After a series of cartoon voice, and supporting roles, it's great to see Mr. Hoffman play the lead once more in such an enjoyable film.

Rating - 3 1/2 Stars