The Love Punch

Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson star in this comedy crime caper. While not nearly as polished as the classic The Pink Panther (1963), there is a small resemblance in suave and characteristically capable comparison between Brosnan and Robert Wagner in the Pink Panther. Only slightly derivative, this deliberately clumsy caper is a fun and light, entertaining story about how a divorced must negotiate on a plan to recapture stolen pension funds from a French investment schemer as well as their tangled relationship together.

In promotion of this film, Emma Thompson did an interview with Entertainment Weekly in which she lamented the "vulgar" comedies of the day. I think we know what she is referring to. Films about bodily functions. Scenes of crass nudity. Comedies seemingly targeted at the fraternity crowd. Anything by Seth Rogan.

"The Love Punch", as she was implying, is the antidote. It's the story of two older exes who reunite for a noble cause--to regain their retirement funds, which were callously liquidated by the young CEO of a predatory French company, Lexon. Emma Thompson plays the ex-wife, Kate Jones. Pierce Brosnan plays the ex-husband, Richard Jones, the owner of a company that was recently purchased by the French company. He is looking forward to his retirement years, until he is blindsided by the tyranny of Lexon.

He has to admit to his ex-wife that their retirement funds are gone, threatening their golden years and the college funds of their children. This is the setup that triggers a parody of "Mission Impossible", in which the couple reunites in a scheme to steal a celebrated diamond. They are assisted by their long-married friends, humorously played by Celia Imrie and Timothy Spall.

The unlikely foursome are the soul of unsuave and uncool, and that is the source of most of the comedy in this cute film. It's a light-hearted, kind film that offers later-life observations about the concept of length-of-life romance. I also love the soundtrack, which defines the tone of the film with pinpoint precision.

This film could appeal to anyone, but those who can relate to Empty Nest Syndrome and the challenges of Retirement are its primary audience.

So I this trailer a few weeks a go and I liked what I saw, it looked funny and entertaining. The movie itself isn't too bad either; the story is basically a divorced couple have to venture to France to steal a diamond because the owner has stole all their money via his company. The premise is nice and simple, a tad boring in places as they use one or two cliché scenes that you get in these types of films; the beginning is a bit slow and some of the jokes fall a bit flat but by the time the plot gets going it's quite enjoyable, the humor is classic British humor mixed with some modern stuff as well which makes a nice blend of funny, the characters were a amusing to watch and although I wasn't invested in their troubles I enjoyed watching them go about the heist. The shots were nice as they showed lots of France and gave the feel of it with the French music played over the scenes. All-in-all I think the older generation will get more out of it that than others but as a young person I enjoyed the majority of it.

Maybe the movie only "deserves" a 6 out of 10, but our main actors and their interplay alone is worth that extra point I gave it. It really feels like those two know each other their whole life, but we knew how good both are acting wise. The movie is also not really hiding the fact that it knows that we know where it is heading. We shall have fun on the ride there though.

And we can have fun, if we let ourselves. It's easy like that, just enjoy the two and some odd jokes along the way (let's call a repeated joke video chat "bombing", taken from photo bombing someone of course). Characters are very aware of what they are doing and in what movie they are in (villains are villains you see). Just enjoy if for what it is :o)

Kate (Emma Thompson) and Richard (Pierce Brosnan) are a happily divorced couple, with two well-mannered children, an excellent (platonic) friendship, a comfortable home each, a lifestyle many aspire to and retirement that is pleasantly near. Then Richard discovers an unscrupulous businessman has stripped his company of all its assets and left them, and many of his staff, jobless and unable to pay the mortgage. With retirement on hold, they hatch a plan to exact their revenge and seize back their money. All they need to do is steal his latest acquisition: the world's biggest diamond.

The Love Punch is fluff. It is nonsense, deeply flawed, as shallow and predictable as a stomp in a puddle and unlikely to bother any award ceremonies or be a threat to any hard-hitting movies currently vying for screen space. However, it is also completely inoffensive, mostly fun, occasionally funny and the kind of film you can take the family (including granny) along to without causing anyone any offence. Just make sure you reward your teenagers with something they actually want to see afterwards; they just might need a does of Afflicted to clean the fluff from their brains afterwards.

Emma Thompson and Pierce Brosnan had apparently wanted to work together for years but had been waiting for the right project to come along. Joel Hopkins, with whom Thompson worked on Last Chance Harvey, granted their wish. Perhaps they should have waited a little longer.

The Love Punch is simplistic, ill thought out and riddled with errors. At one point, director/writer Hopkins has Richard moan "What do you think we are? The Pink Panther?", presumably unaware that the Pink Panther was not the thief but the diamond itself. It is this kind of silly clumsiness that spoils the enjoyment.

Though Timothy Spall and Celia Imrie, as their friends Jerry and Penelope, are welcome additions to proceedings and enable the heist to get underway, the comedy highlights generally occur between Thompson and Brosnan when Kate and Richard are alone and just getting on with their relationship. Most of the stilted moments and embarrassing clunks occur, much like in Brosnan's recent swamp experience, A Long Way Down, when all four are together and trying too hard to be funny.

The Love Punch falls short of the effortless humour and feel great factor of 2011's The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel but it is far from being a turkey. It lacks the sharpness required to really satisfy and, with a little more work, it could have been a riot, but it is an easy, enjoyable waste of 90 minutes.

Overall, The Love Punch is like that third mug of tea on a lazy Sunday morning; it's quite enjoyable but you didn't really need it, it doesn't match expectations and you certainly won't remember it this time next week.

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