Film

Two old pros romantically tango in a heartwarming plot about life’s third acts—and if manners dictate that I mention that Emma Thompson is much younger than Dustin Hoffman, neither actor is green to the idea of infusing painfully stock material with heart and commitment. Divorced Harvey (Hoffman) is an aging jingle writer trapped in a desperate slump, about to be fired by a faithless boss. In London, Harvey watches as his radiant daughter is given away at the altar by her stepfather, to whom she’s now closer. But just when things look bleakest, he begins sparring flirtatiously in an airport bar with Kate (Thompson), also lonely. The connection is undeniable, but will they try to deny it anyway?

No, they won’t. If anything can be said to be wrong with so benign an affair, it’s simply that Last Chance Harvey doesn’t feel much like cinema. Little excites the material visually; the film’s dully lensed Blighty lends nothing to the drama. But to watch Hoffman and Thompson work the lines is to witness two extremely unlikely stars recapture the essence of their appeal: The tiny neurotic is suddenly Romeo again, while the cool Brit melts in the light of affection. For some, that will be enough.