Last Chance Harvey review

They rarely make films like Last Chance Harvey anymore. A grown-up film about grown-ups in love, it's the kind of romantic drama/comedy that was once a staple diet of Hollywood. Sure it's flawed, but it has bags of charm and two classy leading performances.

It's arguably even rarer to see Dustin Hoffman in a bona fide leading role where he is the romantic hero. In recent years his roles have generally added to 'event' pictures such as the Fokker franchise, or various animated features. He has never been a true heart-throb, always opting for edgier roles that say Robert Redford, but he has nonetheless always exuded energy and attraction onscreen.

Such is his talent in LCH that he even makes his title character eminently likeable, as he woos a much younger and very British Emma Thompson in this September-to-December affair (Hoffman is 71, Thompson is 50). This is despite the fact that Harvey hasn't much going for him: he's fairly irritable, fairly antagonistic, may have a drink problem and has a career as a jingles writer that may be going down the pan.

Harvey bumps into Thompson's Kate -a borderline spinster who lives with her overbearing mother (Eileen Atkins) - at Heathrow. He is coming into London to attend the marriage of his estranged daughter, she is a pollster who stops people getting off planes to ask questions. Over the course of a few days they get to know each other, sparks begin and questions are asked of both of them.

Young English director Joel Hopkins shows maturity in handling his stars and has written a script that despite several flaws has a good deal of panache. A particularly poignant scene sees Thompson's Kate on a going-nowhere date which a much younger man. There's some unnecessary padding involving her mother, but when she is together with Hoffman there is some real chemistry. Recommended.

Paul Hurley