The Love Punch

Hampered by a wretched title that has nothing to do with the story, this light-hearted British romantic caper stars Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson as a divorced couple who wreak revenge on the unscrupulous French financier who liquidated their pension fund. With Richard Jones (Brosnan) facing retirement, his U.K. investment firm is bought and quickly decimated by Vincent Kruger (Laurent Lafitte), leaving Richard and the rest of his loyal employees penniless. Accompanied by his ex-wife, Kate (Thompson), Richard confronts the culprit, only to realize that he hasn't a legal leg to stand on. Undaunted and determined to regain what they lost, Richard and Kate concoct a crazy scheme to steal a huge $10 million diamond that Kruger recently bestowed on his young, naively idealistic fiancée (Louise Bourgoin) at a lavish party on the scenic Cȏte d'Azur. Joining them are longtime friends (Timothy Spall, Celia Imrie) disguised as oil-rich Texans. As this Pink Panther-like endeavor evolves, sparks re-ignite between the divorced couple, who discover that life together is more fun than being apart. Writer-director Joel Hopkins creates adventurously sweet ‘n' silly feel-good fun clearly geared to amuse middle-aged audiences. Unfortunately, the actors clearly outshine their material, as despite a fast pace and contemporary economic relevance, this screwball comedy simply lacks punch. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include an interview with costar Pierce Brosnan (6 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for a limp comedy.] (S. Granger)