Harvey (Dustin Hoffman) has a job making jingles for TV ads. He travels from the US to the UK to take part in his estranged daughter's wedding, only to find he is ostracised and unwanted. When he loses his job over the phone, he's left pretty much all alone. Kate (Emma Thompson) is a single woman with a nagging mother who won't leave her alone. When the two meet, it just shouldn't work, but will it?
This is a stunning film. Fresh and different, it adds a whole new slant to the romantic comedy genre. What's so great about it is the way that the two main characters are so used to having crap lives, they expect that as the norm. When love rears its head, they expect nothing from it. The storyline, therefore, is interesting, varied, different and compelling.
The acting is just sublime. These two worked together on Stranger than Fiction, and liked it so much they wanted to get at it again. This film was written for them, and they've got so much chemistry it's just wonderful to watch.
Hoffman is just sublime, with his totally authentic and believable performance in a role that brings the best out of him. He's so subtle and realistic that you totally believe everything you see, which is quite something.
Thompson is good, and there's nothing wrong with her performance, but there's nothing really great about it too. She sort of wilts under Hoffman's powerhouse performance, but just about manages to keep along for the ride.
At 97 minutes, there could have been more, but it's a really enjoyable hour and half spent watching these two work through it all.
All in all, an excellent and surprisingly original film that I totally recommend.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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