DVD Review: Last Chance Harvey

This Cinderella story for middle-age people finds Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson surprisingly well matched as unlikely lovers whose casual courtship begins with an unpromising encounter at an airport bar. He’s a divorced, washed-up composer of commercial jingles who is in London for his daughter’s wedding; she’s a lonely spinster whose social life consists of unrewarding blind dates and boring visits to her elderly mother. What happens next is neither profound nor unexpected, but with such accomplished performers making it look so natural, Last Chance Harvey provokes sighs and smiles in equal numbers. The stars are excellent and get strong support from co-stars Kathy Baker, James Brolin and the luminous Liane Balaban. Slight story and conventional ending notwithstanding, this one is very entertaining and a natural for mature viewers.

Shelf Talk: A multi-million-dollar national media campaign will include advertising on network, syndication and cable TV outlets, as well as digital advertising and radio spots. Placement on ABC, CBS, NBC, TBS, VH1, E!, Hallmark, Lifetime and Nick at Nite will create impressions on the target demographic, which skews older than for many mainstream releases these days.