thehappycow One of my all-time favorite movies. Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman create magic in this movie. They play two people who have experienced their share of disappointment and humiliation, really. Both have been passed-over in life and those around them look down on them and ignore them for whatever reason. The acting is simply superb here. Emma and Dustin of course, but also the support cast, including Kathy Baker which is reason to watch enough. The scene in the Airport Bar where they have lunch is just priceless, with Dustin entering by throwing down his luggage like he has absolutely nothing left in this world. The only problem with this movie is that it could have been longer, I would have loved to see their courtship. Honestly, I hope they married in that Airport Bar! Alone they have nothing, together they join the dance of life. Just a lovely film. Don't miss it.

rooprect I'm not really in the habit of investigating the astrological qualities of directors, but when I checked IMDb's bio for writer/director Joel Hopkins, I immediately noticed it says he's a Virgo. "Ahhh," I said knowingly and leaned back, sipping on a chalice of cherry kool aid which I pretended was the blood of my enemies. I'm a scorpio.The stereotypical male Virgo qualities read like a description of the main character and the film's tone in general: "Quiet, undemonstrative and introvert. Gentle, helpful and sympathetic by nature, the Virgo men often face criticism for being finicky as they are very particular about how they want things to be.""Last Chance Harvey" is a quiet, undemonstrative and introverted film with a gentleness and precise delivery. It's the story of a couple of "5th wheels" (played by Dustin Hoffman & Emma Thompson) who suffer the daily indignity of slowly realizing that they don't fit in anywhere. Dustin's character is a divorced, failed father who has been squeezed out of his family by a more capable new step father in the mix. He is a TV composer by trade, but his archaic, old school approach has become obsolete in light of the snappier, edgier kids taking over the industry. He doesn't seem to have any friends or any life at all. Emma plays a similar character; she has a job as a survey taker at the airport where every day she is ignored or brushed aside by the thousands of people with more important schedules. She's single, awkward, cynical, and is the kind of person who ends up on dates with men who don't notice when she leaves.The movie asks the question: do these people have what it takes to break out of their rut? Or will they forever be hopeless schleps feeling sorry for themselves and embracing obscurity? It's obvious what they should do, but will they do it? And that's the mystery that makes this an interesting and original romcom.Also there's the fact that there aren't a whole lot of romcoms about late-40 and 50-something characters, let alone with great actors like this, so that itself is a novelty.Another bonus is some very nice London scenery. Is it me, or do all romcoms happen in New York City or LA these days? London, there's a refreshing change. And it was nice (albeit a little unrealistic) to see bright, sunny days in every shot, really highlighting the urban charm.So, like the Virgo description, there's not a lot of flashy drama, pizazz, car chases and crazy hijinks in this film. The humor is low key and "British" (for example, an ongoing subplot is Emma's cloistered mother who is convinced that their new neighbor is a creepy serial killer, so she stands at the window staring at him all day). And the "conflict" in Dustin & Emma's relationship isn't any great plot twist but rather the simple question of whether they're so entrenched in misery that they'll sabotage their own chance for happiness.Dustin & Emma displayed a great on-screen chemistry, not unlike they briefly had (just 1 scene) in the excellent film "Stranger than Fiction" a few years earlier. In fact, after seeing this movie I had to google if they were an item in real life. Alas, apparently not.In the end it was nothing in particular that made this an enjoyable film, but rather it was all the little exceptional qualities like the ones I've mentioned that made this a winner. If you like this sort of stuff.If, on the other hand, you find yourself wanting a somewhat more spontaneous, impetuous, explosive movie to watch, check out an Aries director like Quentin Tarantino.

stephanlinsenhoff The usual and known. Nothing new. Following the mantra of many films of this sort. Why an other? A divorced American comes to his daughters wedding in London. Why? They have lost each other years ago. On top of it: he is reached by the news that he has lost his work. Younger ones can do it better. For Harry it is not good but bad. Very bad. A few tables apart in the airport restaurant sits Kate, an airport employee. He starts talking to her. Tells her his misery, himself detached from all this. Again. He left his daughters wedding. He was not part of the weddings setup. Outside. Signalled by his former wife, his daughter and some of the guests. Then the turn as. Something new and sweet. Still is everything known and predictable. Even the startup with Kate. Tired of all the for her arranged blind dates by her friends, meaning good. She dares not believe in a relation, taking ahead the end: "I'm not gonna do it, because it'll hurt! Sometime or other there'll be, you know. It's not working. ... I need my space. ... whatever it is and it will end and it will hurt, and I won't do it.". Well known and used in novels, film and: reality. But the truth is: we need each other. There for: why not try again? The end: the camera follows them. Charles, the slightly too short and Kate, the slightly too long, taking of her shoes and leveling herself with him. After their night together at his daughters wedding and after his heartbreaking father speech, Kate in the black dress he bought her: are they in one of Londons parks. The promise to meet at noon is too easy for the traditionally ending for Hollywood. We know that complications are around the corner. Of course. It is she who waits and he who doesn't, who is unable to come. And when fit again he searches her at her work and waits outside the place of her course in creative writing. He tells her why he couldn't come. Everything known and familiar. Nothing new. But different with slightly a new angle and with those brilliant leads, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. If Kate is his last chance, this is for Kate her first chance. Will it work? Even if we want to believe it, the slaves we are for Hollywood: we and them do not know about their future. At least she took of her shoes, leveling herself with him:"I think I'm more comfortable with being disappointed. I think I'm angry at you for trying to take that away."

ullern This is a movie that keeps on going nowhere, and is in no rush about it. Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson plays well, their characters are credible, yet there's scant reason for anyone to be interested in their credibly boring lives. Might as well watch CCTV of people in a lunch-area - in fact, that might be more interesting. Sorry I watched this, on the presumption that Hoffman would chose an interesting script only.The film gets off to a slow start, Hoffman getting off a plane in London. Then he goes through customs and does all the mundane things of passing through an airport. Emma Thompson is introduced, and she's an as credibly dried up spinster as always, here working in the airport in a boring job. As the film ends, it feels like a good point for it to start. But the intro was the film, and that's it, folks.This is romance for geriatrics. Enjoy.