The Grand old saying ‘never judge a book by its cover’ in regards to first impressions fit’s perfectly when talking about Joel Hopkin’s The Love Punch (2013). When you have Emma Thompson, Pierce Bronson, Celia Imrie and Timothy Spall in the cast you would expect a high standard of filmmaking, storytelling not a rejected episode of a bad 1970’s TV rom-com.
In The Love Punch we meet Richard (Bronson) a businessman on the brink of his retirement when suddenly his company is bought over by a larger company sending the company into receivership leaving him and his employees out of a job and no pensions. Outraged of what’s happened Richard and his ex-wife Kate(Thompson) track down the man behind the asset stripping Vincent (Laurent LaFitte) to his office in Paris to find out what he’s done is perfectly legal. Still angry in what’s he’s done Richard and Kate find out Vincent is due to get married in the south of France and the woman he’s set to marry will be wearing a £10 million diamond. With the help of their old friends Pam (Imrie), Jerry (Spall) the foursome head to south to conspire and steal the diamond.
For what’s been sold as a comedy The Love Punch lacks what a comedy meant to have, funny moments. It’s a one-dimensional mess that leaves you more cringing than laughing out loud which comedies are meant to deliver. Very predictable, poorly executed and with characters that have been poorly undeveloped leave you wondering if the joke is on them or you.
If your anti-European this film may further your support for the UK to leave the EU as all it does is make a mockery that all French, as well as Europeans, are stupid. You could say The Love Punch was funded by Nigel Farage and his mindless minions, not even the king of bad movies Adam Sandler would put his name to this dross though like blended he would have gotten himself another holiday out of it. How many films that have a heist or robbery as part of their storyline actually have no police on a site or even chasing the culprits and everyone lives happily ever after? One film, The Love Punch.
This film is a parasite, an awful film that attempts to feed off the success of one of its cast’s previous films and the success of Emma Thompson’s Saving Mr Banks but fails miserably. If they where attempting to break into The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel comedy drama market or the demographic of senior cinephiles this film is nothing more than a insult. older film generations maybe older but they are not stupid but an insult to their intelligence is nothing more a dig at the age group.
The Love Punch is like that Christmas dinner, well burned beyond saving nothing but a complete disaster (no animals were harmed in writing this review just the dignity, mental wellbeing of the reviewer). Not even Thompson or Imrie’s openly spurting out obscenities or the constant homages to Bronson’s James Bond days could save this atrocity.
I had the unfortunate privilege of watching this film at a press screening and I’ve attended countless screenings but in my history have I attended a comedy film which there’s been no laughs or even a sigh until now. The Love Punch is a threadbare excuse for a comedy, cliched most of all cringeworthy. For any film fan who complains at film writers spoiling films with their reviews this is one film you will actually thank us for spoiling the film. The Love Punch simply makes the whole of Adam Sandler’s back catalogue look like comedy gold, so avoid this like the clappers.
The Grand old saying ‘never judge a book by its cover’ in regards to first impressions fit’s perfectly when talking about Joel Hopkin’s The Love Punch (2013). When you have Emma Thompson, Pierce Bronson, Celia Imrie and Timothy Spall in the cast you would expect a high standard of filmmaking, storytelling not a rejected episode of a bad 1970’s TV rom-com.
In The Love Punch we meet Richard (Bronson) a businessman on the brink of his retirement when suddenly his company is bought over by a larger company sending the company into receivership leaving him and his employees out of a job and no pensions. Outraged of what’s happened Richard and his ex-wife Kate(Thompson) track down the man behind the asset stripping Vincent (Laurent LaFitte) to his office in Paris to find out what he’s done is perfectly legal. Still angry in what’s he’s done Richard and Kate find out Vincent is due to get married in the south of France and the woman he’s set to marry will be wearing a £10 million diamond. With the help of their old friends Pam (Imrie), Jerry (Spall) the foursome head to south to conspire and steal the diamond.
For what’s been sold as a comedy The Love Punch lacks what a comedy meant to have, funny moments. It’s a one-dimensional mess that leaves you more cringing than laughing out loud which comedies are meant to deliver. Very predictable, poorly executed and with characters that have been poorly undeveloped leave you wondering if the joke is on them or you.
If your anti-European this film may further your support for the UK to leave the EU as all it does is make a mockery that all French, as well as Europeans, are stupid. You could say The Love Punch was funded by Nigel Farage and his mindless minions, not even the king of bad movies Adam Sandler would put his name to this dross though like blended he would have gotten himself another holiday out of it. How many films that have a heist or robbery as part of their storyline actually have no police on a site or even chasing the culprits and everyone lives happily ever after? One film, The Love Punch.
This film is a parasite, an awful film that attempts to feed off the success of one of its cast’s previous films and the success of Emma Thompson’s Saving Mr Banks but fails miserably. If they where attempting to break into The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel comedy drama market or the demographic of senior cinephiles this film is nothing more than a insult. older film generations maybe older but they are not stupid but an insult to their intelligence is nothing more a dig at the age group.
The Love Punch is like that Christmas dinner, well burned beyond saving nothing but a complete disaster (no animals were harmed in writing this review just the dignity, mental wellbeing of the reviewer). Not even Thompson or Imrie’s openly spurting out obscenities or the constant homages to Bronson’s James Bond days could save this atrocity.
I had the unfortunate privilege of watching this film at a press screening and I’ve attended countless screenings but in my history have I attended a comedy film which there’s been no laughs or even a sigh until now. The Love Punch is a threadbare excuse for a comedy, cliched most of all cringeworthy. For any film fan who complains at film writers spoiling films with their reviews this is one film you will actually thank us for spoiling the film. The Love Punch simply makes the whole of Adam Sandler’s back catalogue look like comedy gold, so avoid this like the clappers.
Paul Devine |★
Comedy |UK, 2013 | 12 | 18th August 2014 (UK) | eOne UK |Dir:Joel Hopkins |Emma Thompson, Pierce Bronson, Celia Imrie, Timothy Spall, Laurent LaFitte Buy:The Love Punch [DVD]
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