February 5, 2009 -- This movie starts out like a Shakespearean tragedy. Harvey Shine is having a very bad day. His employer is treating him like an old has been. His daughter and his ex-wife are treating him like he is a leper. A man in his twilight years is cast adrift in a foreign city feeling unloved, unappreciated, and a lot closer to the end of his life than the beginning. He is feeling angry and lower than a mole. I was expecting the beleaguered protagonist, Harvey Shine (played by multiple award-winning actor Dustin Hoffman) to either 1 -- Succumb to rage and gun everyone down with a machine gun, or 2 -- Die of a heart attack. Harvey sums up his terrible day in this way to stranger Kate Walker (Emma Thompson) in a London bar: “I missed my plane, I lost my job, and my daughter, who is getting married today, decided she wanted her stepfather, rather than me, to give her away.”

Lo and behold, instead a tragedy, this tale of woe turns into a nice little romantic comedy. Who would have guessed? This film turned around so fast, I thought I was going to get whiplash. I kept waiting for something horrible to happen to Harvey and Kate and it did not. Sure, there were the usual complications, but no tragedy, no violence. The film turns on a dime from anger and despair to love and joy, hope and optimism. This is not the sort of thing one expects from an awards-consideration movie released on Christmas Day, 2008. After all, only “serious” movies like the ridiculous “No Country for Old Men” get Academy Awards nominations.

Romantic comedies are typically ignored, even though it is far more difficult to make an effective romantic comedy than it is to make an effective drama. In all fairness, this film also has some drama in it. Harvey's toast to his daughter, Susan (played by Liane Balaban, no relation to Bob Balaban) at the wedding reception, is a thing of emotional beauty. The acting is the film's strong suit with the well-paired Hoffman and Thompson forming a fine romantic comedy team. Most romantic comedies don't feature people in this age bracket. It has been a lot of years since Hoffman starred in “The Graduate,” but he still has what it takes. Thompson is perfect for this role. The dialog, written by Joel Hopkins, is witty and urbane, a pleasure to listen to. Uneven construction and a somewhat monotonous musical soundtrack detract from the final effect. Susan's stepfather, Brian, is played by James Brolin. Hoffman actually does perform a piano piece in the film that he composed. This movie rates a B.

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Copyright © 2009 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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