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The Love Punch

The Love Punch

Comedy · Romance · Drama · 2014

Retirement at last! Middle-aged and divorced, company owner Richard Jones is looking forward to a worry-free existence as he arrives at his office on his last day of work. Much to his dismay, he discovers that the management buyout of his company was fraudulent. The company is now bankrupt and the employee pension fund — including his own — has been embezzled. Enlisting the help of his ex-wife Kate, Richard sets out to track down the shady businessman behind the fraud.

Movie details

The Love Punch

“You can't pinch a diamond without stealing a few hearts.”

2014 Comedy · Romance · Drama 1h 34m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.0 / 10

Community rating

Retirement at last! Middle-aged and divorced, company owner Richard Jones is looking forward to a worry-free existence as he arrives at his office on his last day of work. Much to his dismay, he discovers that the management buyout of his company was fraudulent. The company is now bankrupt and the employee pension fund — including his own — has been embezzled. Enlisting the help of his ex-wife Kate, Richard sets out to track down the shady businessman behind the fraud.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Love Punch?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Joel Hopkins

Written by

Joel Hopkins

Emma Thompson

Emma Thompson

Kate

Pierce Brosnan

Pierce Brosnan

Richard

Celia Imrie

Celia Imrie

Pen

Timothy Spall

Timothy Spall

Jerry

Louise Bourgoin

Louise Bourgoin

Manon Fontaine

Laurent Lafitte

Laurent Lafitte

Vincent Kruger

Marisa Berenson

Marisa Berenson

Clothilde

Court is in session

Put The Love Punch on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.