Review of As Good as It Gets (1997) by Filipeneto — 12 Feb 2022

In this film, we follow the adventures of the life of Melvin Udall, an established novelist who, despite his fame and public recognition, suffers from an obsessive disorder, combined with a profound misanthropy. That is, he is virtually a hermit, who lives confined at home and has fits of rage if forced to escape his routine or socialize with the people around him. The most regular victims of Udall's caustic and rude temper are his gay neighbor Simon, his dog Verdel, and Carol, the waitress who serves him coffee every day, always at the same table, and which he eats. using plastic cutlery that you bring with you. Everything changes with the robbery of Simon's house: confined to a bed, wounded and broke, Simon becomes partially dependent on Melvin, who will gradually learn to do acts of kindness and generosity towards the people he has hurt.

The cast is led by Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, two proven actors, who here manage to give us two excellent performances. Personally, I thought Hunt was too young to be a love interest for Nicholson, but the fact is that they both seem to be totally at ease with the characters and also with each other. Greg Kinnerar gives us an equally mature and consistent work, in which he is assisted by Cuba Gooding Jr. And a final word for the excellent dog used in the film.

Technically, it's a standard film, within most Hollywood works. It has good cinematography and editing, with good colors and a very safe pace. The scenarios used are very good, with a natural highlight for Melvin's apartment. The soundtrack fulfills its role well and there is a lot of situational comedy to make the most serious audience laugh.