As Good As It Gets (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
NYC: a single mom/waitress, an aging author with obsessive-compulsive disorder, & his neighbor, a gay artist form an unusual friendship in 'As Good As It Gets', directed by James L. Brooks. Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) is the curmudgeony, bigoted, OCD author at the heart of the story. He's so unlikeable at 1st that you can't fathom warming to him by the end of the movie ... but you do (thanks to Nicholson's talent). Melvin enjoys living a reclusive existence. His neighbors in his Greenwich Village apartment building avoid him like the plague. The OCD makes him stranger than the normal cranky old man he already is (avoids cracks in the sidewalk, wears gloves, brings his own utensils when dining out, etc.). Carol (Helen Hunt), a waitress at his local diner, can barely stand him & his condescension. So, as far as he's concerned, all is right with the world as long as no one bothers him.
But his life is turned upside down one day when his gay neighbor, Simon (Greg Kinnear), is brutally beaten & hospitalized. Simon's dog is entrusted to Melvin (who hates dogs, of course). With time, however, Melvin starts to love the dog. And he even finds himself being nice to people. He's as surprised by this as we are. Not only is Melvin willing to help Simon out when he moves back home from his elongated hospital stay, but he even pays a doctor to care for the sick son of Carol, his regular waitress. Situations arise which bring these 3 people together for a weekend trip/love triangle. And the rest of the plot chronicles the ups & downs that this intriguingly awkward threesome undergoes. Can a friendship last btwn. such different individuals? Can people really change for the better?
'As Good As It Gets' is a great little feel-good movie. In fact, it's the exact definition of a feel-good movie. All of the characters have substantial arcs. The details of the script are suitably quirky. There are laughs. There are tears. There's a memorable musical score. The material is challenging enough, but not too deep to thwart most viewers. All of this adds up to a positive outing at the theater. Watching the 3 main characters try to connect on any level is something to see. Their interactions range from funny to painful to revelatory to something beautiful. When great actors meet great material ... chances are you'll have a pretty good movie to watch. It's a rare thing when that synergy occurs.
Jack Nicholson is great as Melvin. He's the perfect jerk (for a perfect example, watch out for a dinner scene where Melvin takes Carol to a fancy restaurant). His one-liners really sting. But the transformation he goes through feels truthful. His chemistry with Helen Hunt is fantastic. His walking-in-egg-shells friendship with Simon takes form. And even though Nicholson's vulnerable side (toward the end of the film) isn't as convincing as his acerbic side, even 'we' wish we knew Melvin when all is said & done. Helen Hunt gets the role of a lifetime with Carol. And her transformation, while subtle, is also powerful. Once dowdy, weary, nervous about her son & skeptical of Melvin ... Carol really changes as the film progresses; growing more self-assured. Greg Kinnear is wonderful as the emotionally-wounded, but charming Simon. Like Carol & Melvin (and with their help), he's able to re-discover himself. Other fine performances come from Shirley Knight as Carol's mom, & Cuba Gooding Jr. as Simon's flamboyant friend.
Now, the film does go on a bit long (2 hours & 15 minutes or so). And portions of the plot are manipulatively sentimental. But you'll find yourself laughing hard, laughing a lot, contemplating life & wiping tears away from your cheeks enough that those trite moments in the story won't make a bit of difference in the end. 'As Good As It Gets' is great entertainment. It isn't as substantial as most other Academy Awards fare that's in the theaters right now. And it isn't as magnificent as, say, Titanic. But I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't in the running for some big awards come Oscar time. Nicholson, Hunt & Kinnear are more than deserving. The script warrants high praise. And 'AGAIG' will be a film that I'll watch back years from now with the same affection that I have for it now. I am sure of it.
But his life is turned upside down one day when his gay neighbor, Simon (Greg Kinnear), is brutally beaten & hospitalized. Simon's dog is entrusted to Melvin (who hates dogs, of course). With time, however, Melvin starts to love the dog. And he even finds himself being nice to people. He's as surprised by this as we are. Not only is Melvin willing to help Simon out when he moves back home from his elongated hospital stay, but he even pays a doctor to care for the sick son of Carol, his regular waitress. Situations arise which bring these 3 people together for a weekend trip/love triangle. And the rest of the plot chronicles the ups & downs that this intriguingly awkward threesome undergoes. Can a friendship last btwn. such different individuals? Can people really change for the better?
'As Good As It Gets' is a great little feel-good movie. In fact, it's the exact definition of a feel-good movie. All of the characters have substantial arcs. The details of the script are suitably quirky. There are laughs. There are tears. There's a memorable musical score. The material is challenging enough, but not too deep to thwart most viewers. All of this adds up to a positive outing at the theater. Watching the 3 main characters try to connect on any level is something to see. Their interactions range from funny to painful to revelatory to something beautiful. When great actors meet great material ... chances are you'll have a pretty good movie to watch. It's a rare thing when that synergy occurs.
Jack Nicholson is great as Melvin. He's the perfect jerk (for a perfect example, watch out for a dinner scene where Melvin takes Carol to a fancy restaurant). His one-liners really sting. But the transformation he goes through feels truthful. His chemistry with Helen Hunt is fantastic. His walking-in-egg-shells friendship with Simon takes form. And even though Nicholson's vulnerable side (toward the end of the film) isn't as convincing as his acerbic side, even 'we' wish we knew Melvin when all is said & done. Helen Hunt gets the role of a lifetime with Carol. And her transformation, while subtle, is also powerful. Once dowdy, weary, nervous about her son & skeptical of Melvin ... Carol really changes as the film progresses; growing more self-assured. Greg Kinnear is wonderful as the emotionally-wounded, but charming Simon. Like Carol & Melvin (and with their help), he's able to re-discover himself. Other fine performances come from Shirley Knight as Carol's mom, & Cuba Gooding Jr. as Simon's flamboyant friend.
Now, the film does go on a bit long (2 hours & 15 minutes or so). And portions of the plot are manipulatively sentimental. But you'll find yourself laughing hard, laughing a lot, contemplating life & wiping tears away from your cheeks enough that those trite moments in the story won't make a bit of difference in the end. 'As Good As It Gets' is great entertainment. It isn't as substantial as most other Academy Awards fare that's in the theaters right now. And it isn't as magnificent as, say, Titanic. But I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't in the running for some big awards come Oscar time. Nicholson, Hunt & Kinnear are more than deserving. The script warrants high praise. And 'AGAIG' will be a film that I'll watch back years from now with the same affection that I have for it now. I am sure of it.