Review of As Good as It Gets (1997) by Neal J — 12 Jun 2016
The opening of As Good As It Gets introduces us to Melvin Udall, a popular and successful romance writer who just so happens to have OCD, and he's about to throw his gay neighbors dog down a trash chute.
Later we see him re-enter his apartment only to lock and unlock his door three times, and turn the bathroom light on and off three times before throwing a perfectly good pair of leather gloves away. His apartment is well organized, even his candy dishes are color coated and originizied by volume.
Melvin is not a nice man. His OCD prevents him from using a filter when talking to stranger or people in general, and he sure can't walk on cracks! Eventually Mevlins neighbor, Simon(a superb Greg Kinnear), is robbed and left beatin and unable to take care of his dog and Melvin is forced into babysitting by Simons art dealer/business manager played Cuba Gooding Jr.
The dog is a cute little fur ball that melts Melvins icing heart and gives the audience a glimpse at melvins true character. The real heart of the film however is Helen Hunt. A single mother and waitress in Manhattan who lives with her mother and ill son.
Melvin has breakfast a lot at her restaurant, and always at the same time and same section. And obliviously, it's Helens section. From there the film delevops into a romantic comedy. Jack Nicholson who plays Melvin won his third Academy Award and Helen Hunt won her only for best actress.
Although I contend a perfect rating for this film, I still vote Titanic best picture of 1997. What makes As good as it Gets so damn good is not just the acting or writing, but James L. Brooks direction.
Every now and then a director writes or is given a script that fits what they do so well. Think ET or Raiders of the Lost Ark for Spielberg, or the Departed for Scorsese and you get the idea. Watching this film makes you think it was an effortless project, because it flows so naturely.
While Terms of Endearment might be James L.Brooks masterpiece, As Good As It Gets is his swan song.
This review of As Good as It Gets (1997) was written by Neal J on 12 Jun 2016.
As Good as It Gets has generally received very positive reviews.
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