6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
New Yorker Harvey Shine is on the verge of losing his dead-end job as a jingle writer. Warned by his boss that he has just one more chance to deliver, Harvey goes to London for a weekend to attend his daughter's wedding but promises to be back on Monday morning to make an important meeting -- or else. Harvey arrives in London only to learn his daughter has chosen to have her stepfather walk her down the aisle instead of him. Doing his best to hide his devastation, he leaves the wedding before the reception in hopes of getting to the airport on time, but misses his plane anyway. When he calls his boss, he is fired on the spot.
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Eileen Atkins, Kathy Baker, Liane BalabanRomance | 100% |
Drama | 26% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
There are no more chances, Harvey.
Though titled Last Chance Harvey, this winning Dustin Hoffman/Emma Thompson
Romantic Drama is about more than just a last chance. It's about new beginnings, about wiping
away years of hurt, frustration, anger, and despair and instead revealing the true person buried
deep inside, scarred and forgotten by the pains of the world. It's about gentle souls gone astray in a
world of broken promises, broken families, and broken hearts. It's a film about rejuvenation and
revitalization, about the absence of limitations and the gift of eternal youth that may be found not
in the reflection of a mirror but instead in how a soul reflects in another's eyes. Last Chance
Harvey tells the story of two lost people that look for solace in everything but that which
defines their very essence, the result frustrations and disappointments that cannot be remedied
with a blind date or a successful business venture, but rather in a chance encounter of
long-standing pains that find answers and understanding in the context of another's broken pieces.
Together, they become one, a single bright light in a dark world that had seemingly left them
behind to wallow in the contentment of expected disappointment.
It's just my high heels that make me look taller than you. Really!
Last Chance Harvey features a rather uninteresting 1080p transfer presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Neither a reference-quality image nor problem-filled transfer, this one suitably delivers the film's visual content in this high definition presentation. Most notable are slightly disappointing blacks that crop up from time to time, appearing a bit too bright. However, the entirety of the image appears faintly saturated and features an ever-so-slight soft glow about it, so the bright blacks don't particularly surprise in context. The image is generally sharp but colors don't appear incredibly vibrant. Fine details are adequately reproduced, most impressive are the several daytime outdoor London scenes where green leaves and brick façades appear nicely rendered. There is nothing earth-shattering with this one, but it suffices for the style of film it accompanies.
Last Chance Harvey travels to Blu-ray with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The film's light, pleasing score plays nicely but not at an overly aggressive volume, almost as if it is hovering in the background just to support the story but not to dominate it. A nice bit of ambiance may be heard across the front, though the back speakers don't feature all that much sound of any variety; atmospherics, music, and discrete sound effects rarely flow from the rear. Ambient noise at the wedding reception in chapter 10, particularly the slight reverberations of applause and the echoing effect of the microphone please the senses and recall the feel of a live event. Live music heard at the same reception also features a nice bit of bass and strong clarity. Certainly not a reference-grade track, this mix -- much like the video -- supports the tone of the film nicely enough but nothing else.
This Blu-ray release of Last Chance Harvey features a couple of bonus features. First is a feature-length commentary track with Writer/Director Joel Hopkins and Actors Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. With Hopkins and Thompson in London and Hoffman in New York, the trio offer a decent commentary that points out small factoids throughout the film, the chemistry between the actors, the casting of secondary characters, the film's structure, discussions revolving around the decision to keep or delete certain scenes, and more. One of the better commentary tracks in recent memory, it's as simple and intriguing as the movie, with Hoffman not necessarily dominating the track but certainly offering up the most interesting information. Fans of the actors or the film will want to give this one a listen. An Unconventional Love Story: The Making of 'Last Chance Harvey (1080i, 16:29) is a piece that recounts much of the same information as found in the commentary track but this time with video accompaniment. It's still a good making-of piece that is assembled with the basic intercutting of interview clips, behind-the-scenes footage, and film clips. Also included is the Last Chance Harvey theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:32) and additional 1080p trailers for Mad Money, Henry Poole is Here, Traitor, Sunshine Cleaning, The Visitor, and "Crash." Rounding out the special features is BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) functionality.
They don't come much more simple than Last Chance Harvey, but they don't come much more touching, either. Its simplicity its strength, Last Chance Harvey demonstrates that no matter one's place in the world, no matter how beaten and bruised, no matter how accustomed to defeat and disappointment one may be, there is always one last chance at a new beginning, for healing old wounds, and finding oneself amidst the chaos of life. Well-written, smartly-directed, and superbly acted, Last Chance Harvey makes for good cinema that lifts the spirits and emotionally satisfies its audience. Starz presents Last Chance Harvey on Blu-ray with suitably good quality, featuring a decent video transfer, an average lossless soundtrack, and a few supplements. With the movie the main attraction and the technical quality of the disc acceptable, Last Chance Harvey earns a hearty recommendation.
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