THE LOVE PUNCH: RETRO ROMCOM

It seems to me these days that romantic comedies want to attempt to elevate themselves above the genre rather than embrace it. Long forgotten are those classic comedies that included romance and instead we're left with romantic comedies that seem to feel the need to include an agenda as well. Forget that folks, let's have some fun here. A romantic comedy is not likely to alter the course of history in any sense of the word. They are mostly enjoyable pieces of fluff that are fun to watch and perhaps garner a second viewing. They entertain. I'd much rather have those than be preached to about how a woman doesn't need a man to get along in life only to find the man of her dreams within seconds of making that pronouncement. So it was a joy to watch THE LOVE PUNCH, a romantic comedy that brought back memories of Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn at their best.

Pierce Brosnan plays Richard, an executive about to retire from the day to day grind. Emma Thompson plays Kate, his ex-wife who has never quite adjusted to single life. Their youngest child is off to college and both seem to be adjusting. All that changes when Richard goes to his last day at the office only to find that the company has been sold and the purchaser has legally taken all funds that were connected with the company, including the pension fund set aside for the employees. With the pension gone Richard has lost everything as has Kate who was tied into it as well. What to do? Discover who the purchaser was and appeal to his sense of right and wrong.

The duo high tails it to Paris where they intend to confront the scoundrel. They sneak into his office, tell him that this isn't fair and are quickly removed from said office. In fact the purchaser could care less about employees or their fate; he's more concerned about making money. On the side walk they see a glimpse of this as the man's fiancé gets out of her limousine wearing a diamond around her neck Kate saw a news story on, a diamond worth $10 million.

Once seen Kate comes up with a plan: steal the diamond and sell it off giving the proceeds to the employees. A crazy idea at best and a wonderful caper film of sorts on which to base this comedy. Unable to do the job on their own the pair bring aboard their best friends, a couple they'd been friends with for years. Jerry (Timothy Spall) and Penelope (Celia Imrie) think the pair have reunited and are thrilled. When the plot is laid out for them they are eager to join in on the conspiracy.

To pull off their job they must first gain information on the house and what is going on with the thief's planned wedding. Kate does this by befriending his bride to be, a woman unsure that she is making the right decision. Words of wisdom from Kate cause her to think back to her own life and the love she once had for Richard. Is it possible the feelings are still there?

Next they must kidnap two couples from Texas, business associates of the bad guy, so they can take their invitations and impersonate them at the wedding reception. This in turn leads to them finding a way to the party and getting in, bypassing fingerprint scanners that have also been installed. Afterwards they only need to pretend to be from Texas, find a way to the diamond and then escape. Simple. Then again this is a comedy.

It's nice to see Brosnan step outside of the tough guy persona he's built up over the past few years since he became Bond and return to some comedic roots. Many have probably forgotten the comedy gift he displayed as Remington Steele. Thompson has always had a flair for comedy in the past that equals her ability with drama. Putting the two of them together in this piece was brilliant casting and it works spectacularly. Even the supporting cast shines here when Imrie and Spall having some hilarious moments.

Sure, the story here seems impossible and improbable. But that's not why we're watching this movie. We're watching to have a good time. We're watching to see if they can get away with this crime and save the day for the hard working people in their lives. And we're watching with the hope that these two separate people can find the love they once had and reunite. Is there a happy ending? Watch and see. You may not want to watch this over and over again but you'll have a good time watching it from start to finish.

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