Review of About Schmidt (2002) by Robert F — 19 Apr 2010

Alexander Payne excels at making the banal, cheap, tacky, and embarrassing both endearing and hilarious. Scenes like Jack Nicholson kissing a woman he just met in a trailer park underscore these talents while we're continually treated to small moments of interpersonal desperation that easily prey on the insecurities and fears of all people.

Whereas most Nicholson performances see him bouncing off the walls, caging this animal in the body of a depressed and useless insurance actuary brings a lot of the subtleties that shape his better performances to the fore. It's a good thing, too, because in lesser hands, this movie would simply be a bitter character study with zero momentum. Though not as good as nearly all of Payne's other efforts, it can be used in the composite to prove that he's one of the most important makers living today.