It’s no surprise that some of the greatest actors of our generation all have their best work behind them. De Niro. Pacino. Streep. None of them have acted their socks off for some time now. Meet The Fockers? Two for the Money? Mama Mia!? The only way they were stretched for these parts was by picking up their pay checks off of the table. And although we can’t really blame them, considering each and every one of their cinematic legacies, it’s difficult not to feel somewhat disappointed.

Another name that has to be included on this list is Hoffman. He, probably more than any of those other actors, could handle any genre thrown at him; from his comic timing in the likes of Tootsie, to his dental anguish in The Marathon Man – Dustin has had every acting base covered.

Recently, he seems resigned to adding his voice to a number of animated films. That’s the acting world’s loss and Kung Fu Panda’s gain. Thanks to his friendship with Emma Thompson though – which apparently blossomed when they worked together on 2006’s Stranger Than Fiction – the pair are reunited for this gentle film.

I wish she'd hurry up and turn the page, I wanna know what happens next.

Harvey Shine (Hoffman) is on his way to London for his daughter’s wedding. He’s hoping the trip will be a nice distraction from his work as a music composer for adverts, which he’s going through a rough patch with.

When most families come together, they usually bring along their fair sure of awkwardness and embarrassment and Harvey’s is no different. Not only is his ex-wife (Kathy Baker) there, he has to contend with her new husband Brian (James Brolin), who appears to be adored by just about everybody.

To make matters worse, his daughter (Liane Balaban) informs him that she would prefer that Brian giver her away at the wedding – talk about kicking a man when he’s down.

As soon as the wedding ceremony is over, he decides it’s probably best for everyone if he returns to the US. Just when he thinks it can’t get any worse, it does; he misses his flight out and the next one available is the following day.

He decides to drown his sorrows in the airport bar. It’s there where he meets Kate (Thompson) – again, as he had given her the cold shoulder on his arrival, when she approached him to ask if he had time to fill out a questionnaire.

After a degree of frosty conversation between the two, they strike up the embers of a friendship. This soon develops into a three-way relationship between Harvey, Kate and the city of London. But is it one that can last?

What’s great to see here is Hoffman enjoying what he does best – acting. For someone of his talent, it’s not exactly a demanding role. What he gives though, is a performance rich in subtlety and nuances. It’s matched in a similar vein by Thompson, who breezily injects an air of groundedness into Kate. Together they create a sense of cinema verite, with no room for showboating by anyone.

It’s difficult to say whether the director had much control over either of them; after all this is only Joel Hopkins’ second feature, with his first, Jump Tomorrow, released way back in 2001. It would be a brave man to step in the way of such great actors in fine form, particularly when they appear to be so keen on ad libbing throughout. It also doesn’t harm that the rapport the two leads share is certainly conducive to quality, off the cuff lines.

However, perhaps a director with a bit more weight or muscle could have possibly controlled and utilised their performances to better effect. As it stands, it feels like Hopkins had little say over proceedings.

What he did manage to do was make old London town feel like a romantic capital to compete with Paris. London’s South Bank area has been used before in films, but it’s rarely looked as attractive. Even Londoners themselves, who may usually find themselves speeding through the area at 103 mph, may take a breath and acknowledge that they’ve overlooked the capital’s attractive qualities.

The best thing about the film though is the fact that Hoffman is in a role that is highly watchable. He’s nowhere near his best, but it’s simply a joy to see him again put some effort into his character. Perhaps the fact that he was opposite one of our country’s greatest actresses in recent years was just what he needed to raise his game.

Last Chance Harvey is a charming experience from beginning to end. It has the kind of heart that is all too rarely seen these days, due to the fact that romantic films appear to be box office death. But when they’re done right, with a cast as strong as this, it’s difficult not to get caught in its delightful spell.