Dustin Hoffman

DVD Review: Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman Shine in ‘Last Chance Harvey’

BrianTT — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:11:47 -0600

CHICAGO – Most audiences missed one of the most charming romantic comedies of the last year during the holiday rush and the start of the new year. Joel Hopkins’ “Last Chance Harvey” isn’t perfect but it’s a surprisingly effective heart-tugger, anchored by fantastic performances from its Oscar-winning stars, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. Catch up on DVD.

DVD Rating: 3.5/5.0

“Last Chance Harvey” is a simple, gentle movie that doesn’t really do anything remarkable but features two performances so good that they will justify at least a rental for nearly any viewer and get them over the relatively generic screenplay. It’s an old-fashioned crowd-pleaser, a totally satisfying rental on a Saturday night.

Last Chance Harvey was released on DVD on May 5th, 2009.
Photo credit: Overture Films

Featuring Dustin Hoffman’s best work in at least a decade and a delightful turn from the always-great Emma Thompson, “Last Chance Harvey” doesn’t break the mold or even stretch it at all but it is completely satisfying in a familiarly romantic way. Not everything needs to be new. There’s something to be said about doing an old-fashioned genre like the romantic comedy well. It’s almost refreshing.

Harvey Shine (Hoffman) is a composer for commercials who is caught in a life-changing few days as his career could be at an end and his daughter (Liane Balaban) is about to get married. He’s running out of chances in every way - professionally and personally. Harvey is a quiet, sad man coming to terms with some regretful decisions, including the distance between him and his daughter, a young lady closer to not just her birth mother (Kathy Baker) but her stepfather (James Brolin).

Last Chance Harvey was released on DVD on May 5th, 2009.
Photo credit: Overture Films/Anchor Bay

Harvey is in London for his daughter’s wedding when he stumbles across Kate (Emma Thompson). Their first encounter is unremarkable but the second, as Harvey drowns his sorrows in an airport bar, produces instant chemistry and instant entertainment. Watching these two great actors play a gentle, old-fashioned game of cinematic romance is delightful, especially when one considers the typically unlikable cads who make up supposedly romantic comedies of today. It’s easy to root for Kate and Harvey.

To be fair, there’s so little to the screenplay for “Harvey” that one has to wonder if it would have worked at all without two Oscar winners in the lead roles. The characters outside of the lead duo also feel a bit too much like plot devices. But Thompson and Hoffman alone make “Last Chance Harvey” worth seeing. We may have seen this kind of film before but it’s still great to see it done this well.

“Last Chance Harvey” is presented in both anamorphic widescreen with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and in its full-frame presentation on a two-disc set. It’s rare to see two discs for the widescreen and full-frame version in one box, but Anchor Bay is not a traditional company. They do things a bit different. Please watch the widescreen. Even for a movie like this one. The audio is service-able in Dolby Surround 5.1.

Special features on “Last Chance Harvey” include a commentary by writer/director Joel Hopkins, Dustin Hoffman, and Emma Thompson, the trailer, and “An Unconventional Love Story: The Making of Last Chance Harvey”. Any time you can get two Oscar winners on a commentary track, you should take a chance to listen to it. These are talented people with something to say and their involvement in a DVD commentary is rare.

‘Last Chance Harvey’ is released by Anchor Bay Home Video and stars Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Eileen Atkins, Kathy Baker, James Brolin, and Richard Schiff. It was written and directed by Joel Hopkins. The film was released on May 5th, 2009. It is rated PG-13.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Slideshow: 36-Image Gallery For ‘The Tale of Despereaux’ With Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman

BrianTT — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 10:46:23 -0700

CHICAGO – This 36-image slideshow contains official press images for Universal’s “The Tale of Despereaux,” which stars Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Watson, Tracey Ullman, Kevin Kline, William H. Macy, Stanley Tucci, Ciaran Hinds, Robbie Coltrane, and Tony Hale from writer Gary Ross and directed by Sam Fell & Robert Stevenhagen. The film opens on Dec. 19, 2008.

“The Tale of Despereaux” is Universal’s animated adventure for the season and features voice work by Matthew Broderick in the title role, a mouse who wants to be a man. Despereaux must team with a disgraced rat (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) and an awkward servant girl (Tracey Ullman) to save a kingdom that has been plunged into darkness. The animated film is rated G and opens on Friday, December 19th, 2008.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos credited to Universal Pictures Copyright: © 2008 Universal Studios. All rights reserved.

Despereaux01: Noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) jousts with royal chef Andre (voiced by Kevin Kline) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux02: Soup genie Boldo (voiced by Stanley Tucci), noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) and royal chef Andre (voiced by Kevin Kline) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux03: Noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) explains his quest to palace jailer Gregory (voiced by Robbie Coltrane) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux04: Noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) is led to the edge of Ratworld by blind Hovis (voiced by Christopher Lloyd) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux05: Blind Hovis (voiced by Christopher Lloyd) leads noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) to the edge of Ratworld in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux06: Noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux07: Princess Pea (voiced by Emma Watson) greets noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux08: Noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) commits to his quest in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux09: Princess Pea (voiced by Emma Watson) is greeted by noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux10: Noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) describes excitement to his family in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux11: The Tilling family: meek brother Furlough (voiced by Tony Hale), noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick), mother Antoinette (voiced by Frances Conroy) and father Lester (voiced by William H. Macy) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux12: (L to R) Mother Antoinette (voiced by Frances Conroy), noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) and father Lester (voiced by William H. Macy) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux13: Noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) devours tales of knights and princesses in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux14: (L to R) Despereaux Tilling’s family—Father Lester (voiced by William H. Macy), mother Antoinette (voiced by Frances Conroy) and meek brother Furlough (voiced by Tony Hale)—are joined by the family doctor as they welcome baby Despereaux to Mouseworld in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux15: Noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) sets his mind to it in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux16: Noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) attends school in Mouseworld in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux17: (L to R) Guards from the Mayor lead noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) to the edge of Ratworld in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux18: Noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) prepares to descend into Ratworld in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux19: Noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) devours tales of knights and princesses in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux20: Princess Pea (voiced by Emma Watson) greets her rescuer, noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick), in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux21: (L to R) Meek brother Furlough (voiced by Tony Hale) tells noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) to just eat (not read) the books in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux22: Noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) fights off a cat gladiator in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux23: (L to R) Noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) enlists the help of good-hearted rat Roscuro (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux24: Princess Pea (voiced by Emma Watson) is lost in her loneliness in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux25: Good-hearted rat Roscuro (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux26: Good-hearted rat Roscuro (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) frightens Princess Pea (voiced by Emma Watson) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux27: (L to R) Serving girl Miggery Sow (voiced by Tracey Ullman) brings the crown to Princess Pea (voiced by Emma Watson) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux28: Serving girl Miggery Sow (voiced by Tracey Ullman) dreams of becoming a princess in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux29: Serving girl Miggery Sow (voiced by Tracey Ullman) dreams of becoming a princess in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux30: Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) prepares to impress his friends in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux31: (L to R) Noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) receives a lecture from his Principal (voiced by Richard Jenkins) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux32: (L to R) The Tilling family: mother Antoinette (voiced by Frances Conroy), meek brother Furlough (voiced by Tony Hale), noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) and father Lester (voiced by William H. Macy) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: “The Tale of Despereaux.”
Despereaux33: (L to R) The Queen (voiced by Patricia Cullen) and King of Dor dine on soup with Princess Pea (voiced by Emma Watson) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux34: Good-hearted rat Roscuro (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) plots revenge with serving girl Miggery Sow (voiced by Tracey Ullman) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux35: Good-hearted rat Roscuro (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) attempts to quiet serving girl Miggery Sow (voiced by Tracey Ullman) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: The Tale of Despereaux.
Despereaux36: (L to R) Good-hearted rat Roscuro (voiced by Dustin Hoffman), Princess Pea (voiced by Emma Watson) and noble mouse Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick) in the animated adventure that tells a story of bravery, forgiveness and redemption: “The Tale of Despereaux.”

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: Directors Mark Osborne, John Stevenson Create Balance Between Action, Zen in ‘Kung Fu Panda’

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:01:00 -0600

CHICAGO – In this summer movie season of old men with whips, gals in stilettos and superheroes a go-go, you may ask: “Where’s the cartoon?” (“Speed Racer” doesn’t count.) Indeed, the most highly anticipated animation event of the summer is “Kung Fu Panda”.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Filled with the voices of “A”-list Hollywood stars and featuring a classic combination of well-choreographed action, laugh-out-loud comedy and feel-good philosophy, “Panda” doesn’t pander and works on all levels.

HollywoodChicago.com recently interviewed “Kung Fu Panda” co-directors Mark Osborne and John Stevenson about putting together a major animated project for the first time and how their lead actor, Jack Black, helped shaped the destiny of the final product.

After having spent 20 years in the inescapable Chorh-Gom Prison, Tai Lung (Ian McShane) makes his daring escape in DreamWorks’ “Kung Fu Panda”.
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

“There was a general desire to return to that classic, timeless sense of story that Mark and I remembered as we were growing up,” Stevenson said. “We just wanted to make a story and a world that would endure and would be its own, self-contained universe.”

Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy and train in the art of kung fu, giant panda Po (Jack Black, above) begins his study under Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman, below) in DreamWorks’ “Kung Fu Panda”.
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

“As for the films that inspired us most with animated action, there is no higher bar than ‘The Incredibles,’” Osborne said. “That was a film we looked at not necessarily as a template but for the level of quality and sophistication of the action.”

Jack Black is cast perfectly as the voice of Po: a lumpy panda bear working at his father’s noodle shop in China’s Valley of Peace. Po is an advocate of the fighting cult of kung fu and has kept up with the heroics of the “Furious Five” – Monkey, Mantis, Crane, Viper and Tigress – animals based on the fighting style.

They have been trained to protect the valley by Master Shifu (the voice of Dustin Hoffman) against the rages of evil, avenge-seeking tiger Tai Lung (Ian McShane). One of the five is about to be crowned the top warrior, which is also known as the “Dragon Master”.

Osborne praises the lead voice actor: “We rewrote and rebuilt the original story around Jack Black. That was one of the great things that happened in the genesis of the project. It is perfect casting.”

He added: “There was a lot of inspiration from Jack as a person, Jack’s movie characters and what we knew of Jack especially in association with Tenacious D. We took a lot of inspiration from all that in creating this ultimate fanboy character.”

Seth Rogen voices the fast and quick-tempered Mantis (one of the legendary Furious Five) in DreamWorks’ “Kung Fu Panda”.
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

“Jack gave a huge gift really early on about bending the concept to make it work,” Stevenson said. “There were interesting choices to be made and it all came from Jack.”

He added: “When he started doing his first sessions as Po, we all imagined that it might be Tenacious D Jack or something more cocky and abrasive. But Jack himself started to do these more vulnerable and ‘self aware of your failings’ kind of readings.”

Through a series of misadventures, Po becomes the Dragon Master and must endure the rejection and jealously of the Furious Five along with Shifu’s reluctant training. When Tai Lung escapes from prison, it’s up to Po to put into practice the teachings of his master and trust what he has learned to defeat the foe.

The story evolved through several renderings before Osborne and Stevenson found the right tenor.

Stevenson explained: “While we knew Po would eventually have to go one on one with Tai Lung, we didn’t want him to cheat, use magic, turn into Bruce Lee all of a sudden or have him do things you hadn’t seen him do before.”

He continued: “In the Tao Te Ching, there was this stanza in there: ‘The sapling that bends in the breeze is greater than the mighty oak that is rigid.’ It ends with this couplet: ‘The hard and strong will fall. The soft and weak will overcome.’ When we read that, we said ‘hurrah’! We found our overall philosophy.”

“Also, the philosophical underpinning of the story is that Master Shifu and Po are a balance of opposites,” Osborne expressed. “Villain Tai Lung and Po are a balance of opposites. We thought to build everything on that and we started to discover things.”

RELATED IMAGE GALLERY
View our huge, high-resolution “Kung Fu Panda” image gallery.

RELATED READING
Read more film reviews from critic Patrick McDonald.

The fluid nature and the excitement of the action sequences – epic without being cartoony – are the centerpiece of the film’s legitimacy.

“One of the big conceits of the film was to use the five original animal fighting styles,” Stevenson said. “The Furious Five in the film actually personify them. It was kung fu in such a way that honored its source, but it also did it in a way you’ve never seen before because it was animals doing it instead of human beings.”

Bring the kids and line up for the popcorn as the result is a fundamental balance and a perfect summer animated classic. Osborne concluded: “It had to be authentic and still feel like kung fu, but at the same time, we knew we had to find our own path and our own way of doing things.”

In all, “Kung Fu Panda” features the voice talent of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Dan Fogler and Michael Clarke Duncan.

“Kung Fu Panda” opened everywhere on June 6, 2008.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium’ Vying to Break Guinness World Toy Record

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 18:24:16 -0600

I was informed on Wednesday that Walden Media and Fox Walden are vying to break the Guiness World Record for the largest toy drive. They intend to amass 12,000 pounds of toys from Nov. 6 to 12.

The Guiness World Record is calculated based on the most toys collected within a week as valued by total weight. The film companies are working with Toys for Tots to reach the goal.

The buzz-building excercise is timed to the holiday release of “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium,” which is written and directed by Zach Helm. The film stars Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Jason Bateman and Zach Mills.

“What an incredibly special way to bring some of the magic from this movie off the screen and into the lives of children this holiday season,” Portman said in a statement.

“Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium”
Photo credit: IMDb
“Toy chests” will be placed in movie theatres, schools, libraries, community centers and businesses throughout New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Boston, Atlanta, Denver, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
Each market has a goal to collect at least 1,200 pounds of toys. Fox Walden will also conduct an online campaign that allows people across the country to build a toy online.

The film, which is a Walden Media and Mandate Pictures co-production, opens on Nov. 16.