Last Chance Harvey (2008)

: Couch Potato

Directed by: Joel Hopkins
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson

This story is not all that inspiring, but it does make the point that it’s never too late to change, find love and figure out what you want in life. That being said, I was disappointed that the film was, at times, cliché. Hoffman plays Harvey Shine, a man who has allowed his career to deprive him of meaningful relationships. That’s been done a million times, right? Emma Thompson plays Kate Walker, a woman who has never been in love, yet remains cautiously hopeful (ho-hum). The best part of the film is the feeling you get that these two individuals are on the outside, looking in; they are observers of life, not true participants. The illusion is ruined when they rashly discard their reluctant natures and embark on a romance (oh, the alliteration!). Hoffman and Thompson turn in good performances, but their star power is wasted on a weak story, and all you really end up with are two hot potatoes that get tossed around for an hour and a half, leaving them bruised.

-PotatoPatti