As Good as It Gets

As Good as It Gets_720p(480P)

source: As Good as It Gets

Here's the main problem with the movie: Nicholson is far too much of a jerk. He's downright nasty for the majority of the runtime, so the eventual ham-fisted conclusion of Helen Hunt falling in love makes no sense, nor is it at all heartwarming. We never see any character arc, he just seems to go from "I'm nasty" to "Oh I guess I'm nice now" in a split second. Aside from that, the movie is full of soppy clichés that feel like they came straight out of a cookie cutter romantic sitcom. The whole idea of a lonely curmedgeon finding love is ultimately very worn out, and this movie certainly does not having anything new or interesting to offer to that idea. An infinitely better movie with Nicholson playing a grumpy old man is Alexander Payne's "About Schmidt". Watch that, and don't bother with this.

Another sitcom-style comedy for adults from James L. Brooks. Like all of Brooks' films, this one is well acted and written and it's always entertaining, but it's also unchallenging and cinematically uninteresting, and always feels slightly sanitized, even when it's dealing with rough topics. Jack Nicholson plays yet another version of crazy in the kind of role that his later career has been full of. Helen Hunt was hot at the moment because of "Mad About You," and while it's inconceivable all these years later that she actually won an Oscar for this film, her experience in sitcom acting suits Brooks and his material well (though there's quite an ick factor in seeing her paired with someone so much older and lecherous). Greg Kinnear rounds out the principal cast as a gay artist, while Shirley Knight and Cuba Gooding Jr. appear in smaller roles. Grade: A-

And it takes very long to get anywhere in this tale. The Nicholson character is Melvin, a grumpy guy with OCD, who happens to be a famous, wealthy author living in Manhattan. His neighbor is gay painter Kinnear, owner of a cute dog who steals the show. Melvin eats in the same place and wants to be served by the same waitress (Carol, the Hunt character). She is extremely neurotic, because of her sick son. Through a series of very unlikely circumstances, these three will get together and bond. Apart from the implausible plot, there are masses of scenes that could easily be cut or shortened, especially those with Helen Hunt. Carol talks a lot, is weepy, very motherly and nurturing. Most scenes with her mum could be cut; the conversation with the "good" doctor is cringeworthy; Carol and Melvin out for a sort of date drags for a long time and it's a frustrating scene, once again because of Carol bitchy attitude... and so on. Annoying and often boring, definitely overlong.

This is definitely a movie that plays with far more power on the home screen than it does in a theater where the director's monotonous TV style, with its tendency to rely on close-ups to carry the emotive action, can become very irritating. It is indeed fortunate that players of the caliber of Nicholson and Hunt can make the best of searching close-ups (they also have the best lines), whereas Kinnear, Gooding and Knight, lacking a similar box-full of histrionic tricks, tend to out-stay their welcome. It's not surprising that Nicholson and Hunt carried off the year's Best Acting awards. In fact, both players are so skillful, they can even hide holes in the script and its inconsistencies of characterization.

This film is as good as it gets! It lost to the bloated Titanic at the Oscar ceremonies, but Helen Hunt and jack Nicholson deservedly won Oscars for their performances. The two leads generate a lot of chemistry; both give naturalistic performances. jack Nicolson plays Melvyn Udall, a man with OCD, and Helen Hunt,Carol Connelly, the waitress who encounters Melvyn, first as abrasive and humorless, second as obsessive, unempathic and egocentric, third as a love interest. Add in a sparkling Greg Kinnear as a gay neighbor whose relationship with Melvyn changes through the film. The movie hasn't dated since I saw it on main circuit, nearly 10 years ago. It manages to avoid a lot of sentimentality (wich typifies Terms of Endearment, James Brooks' "other" famous movie, for which Jack Nicholson won his Best Supporting Actor Oscar! Cuba Gooding Jr. gives excellent support to Greg Kinnear's turn as Simon Bishop. The script is witty, the dialog pert... in short, this film sparkles.

As Good as it Gets is a very funny movie, filled with great acting and lines that always hit the mark p-e-r-f-e-c-t-l-y... Jack Nicholson is absolutely perfect, and Helen Hunt proves that she can do better than playing in Twister... Greg Kinnear is also very convincing in his role. The Oscar-cursed Cuba Gooding Jr. gives one of his last good performances, if not THE last one... Great movie... 85%

This is a great movie. It had a very funny script and the acting was spectacular. Jack Nicholson definitely deserved his third Oscar for this, he was funny and added the right to his character. Helen Hunt also deserved her Oscar she was excellent and also funny. Greg Kinnear was pretty good also, he deserved his nomination. I give this movie a 9 out of 10, I would give it a 10 its just that I could never give a romantic comedy a 10.

This movie, is funny, it has romance and drama, it has quality acting.... And more. It is an exploration of an interesting set of characters. You will be drawn into their world. Worth multiple watch. Well written. Engaging.