DVD Review – The Love Punch
3 min read
Romantic comedies are almost always sappy, with hilarious moments that push our will they won’t they couple together with some grand final gesture. The Love Punch explores the aftermath, what happens when it doesn’t work out and you, gasp, divorce? Clearly our leads ought to give it another shot, but it’s always refreshing to see a rom-com geared towards an older generation, for it brings a different kind of humour and appreciation to the fray.
Richard (Pierce Brosnan) and Kate (Emma Thompson) are a happily divorced couple living their lives while occasionally having to bump into each other at different events. When Richard’s company is embezzled by shady hedge fund jerk Vincent (Laurent Lafitte), thus stealing all of his AND Kate’s retirement money leaving them broke, they join forces and jet off to France to steal back what is rightfully theirs. Along for the ride are the still married and couples’ best friends Jerry (Timothy Spall) and Pen (Celia Imrie), who are under the wrong impression that Richard and Kate are getting back together. Kidnapping, elaborate traps and disguises are all par for the course, and a helping hand from Vincent’s’ disgruntled wife Manon (Louise Bourgoin) ensures that maybe Richard and Kate can retire comfortably, and maybe give love another shot along the way.
British stalwarts Brosnan and Thompson share great chemistry on screen as the romantic leads. Together they have great rapport and timing, bouncing and feeding off each other’s energy that gives the impression these two were at some point happily married. Thompson in particular is always prepped with a quick wit and sardonic comeback, and it was terrific to see her in her element. Supporting players Spall and Imrie are clearly the comedic duo there to provide most of the laughs, and once they joined the heist the film picked up the pace and had a lot more funnier moments when the core four shared the screen.
Any location film generally provides some stunning photography along the way, and The Love Punch does not fail to deliver. In particular, it seems almost unnatural to not have a car chase scene through the streets of France, nor some plot point involving the Parisian coastal line. Both of these scenes were not only hilarious thanks to the actors, but added an entirely different element based on the shear location of where the ‘action’ was taking place. Clearly this was a major selling point for the actors to do the film, and you can’t really blame them considering just how beautiful the locale is.
This is in no way a realistic film in terms of plot, given the age of the characters and the hijinks that ensue. However, in my experience comedic films involving an older cast tend to bring a different kind of humour and tone with them. The Love Punch in particular manages to capitalise on the strengths of the leads and their differing, yet equally hilarious, brands of humour, which is a refreshing take on the rom-com. Regardless of age this is definitely a great popcorn flick to watch with loved ones and friends, bringing with it a sense of hope that second chances do exist.
