Jump Tomorrow kicks off in a storybook version of New York, where strait-laced, soft-spoken George (Tunde Adebimpe) is nervously preparing for his arranged marriage. George arrives at the airport to pick up his fiancée, only to discover he is a day late, and that she is already in Niagara Falls, where the wedding is to take place in three days. While at the airport, George has two random encounters that will forever change his life. The first is with the beautiful Alicia (Natalia Verbeke), a sexy, free spirit who invites him to a party. The other is with the hopeless romantic Gerard (Hippolyte Girardot) who has just been jilted by his lover. George takes Gerard to Alicia's party, and before the night is over, he stops the broken-hearted Frenchman from killing himself. "Jump tomorrow," says George. As a token of his appreciation, Gerard offers to drive George to his impending wedding, but really the two men are on a quest to find Alicia, who is hitchhiking to Canada with her boyfriend (James Wilby).

Reminiscent of the quirky independent films of the late 1980s and early 1990s Jump Tomorrow draws inspiration from the early works of Jonathon Demme, Wes Anderson, and Jim Jarmusch. Mixed with the quirky, offbeat humor of films like Mystery Train and Bottle Rocket is the screwball sensibility of films like Howard Hawks' Bringing Up Baby. That odd mix makes for a wonderful combination as Hopkins allows the story to unfold at a casual pace, and isn't afraid to bask in moments of silence. And like Jarmusch's early films, Hopkins crafts dialog that is wonderfully awkward, and more like real-life exchanges than the "witty" banter that's so prevalent in mainstream comedies. "I'm a big fan of Jim Jarmusch – I think you can tell that with the film," says Hopkins. "If you can create a world that's just a couple degrees off reality, and if you can persuade the audience to go into that world, I like the opportunity that gives you."

The world Hopkins creates in Jump Tomorrow is a fairytale that combines the wholesome romantic comedy of the past with the road picture. "I was never very aware that I was making a romantic comedy, and it's partly me being a bit pompous," explains the director. "Romantic comedies have gotten such a bad rap, I still slightly wince calling it romantic comedy. But that's what it is – it is a romantic comedy. I always try to call it a melancholic, comic road movie."

Jump Tomorrow is a quiet film that never has to work to win you over. It never works too hard to convince you that it is funny, or romantic, or that the characters are likeable. In that regard, it is like an old friend whose company you enjoy even if you don't have much to say to each other. The DVD includes an audio commentary with Hopkins, Adebimpe and producer Nicola Usborne. Not the most earth-shattering of commentaries, there are some anecdotes and insights that should be of interest to aspiring filmmakers.

After what seems to be a never-ending barrage of lamebrain romantic comedies, Jump Tomorrow proves that there is still hope for the old boy-meets-girl tale, and that there are still comedies that can be silly without being stupid.