My Review: As Good As It Gets (9/10)

"You make me want to be a better man."

I finally got around to watching this touching and funny film directed by James L. Brooks that stands out thanks to some wonderful performances and memorable characters. As Good As it Gets is proof that actions are louder than words because despite how cruel and mean Nicholson's character is, he does incredible and kind things for others. In a way this film reminded me of David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook as I found both films to be difficult to follow at first due to the lack of a likable character, but once we get to know who these people are we forgive their flaws and end up routing for them. Both Nicholson and Helen Hunt give excellent performances, and their Oscar wins were well deserved in my opinion. As Good As it Gets is the very definition of charm, and the screenplay written by Mark Andrus (Life As a House) shines thanks to some incredible performances. I really enjoyed this film and found myself laughing through most of the scenes. This is one more film I can eliminate from my shame list, and I'm glad I finally got to experience this romantic comedy which also has a lot to say about overcoming illness.

We are introduced to Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson), a cranky but successful author who suffers from OCD. He lives on his own in a beautiful apartment where he spends most of his time writing. He always goes out on his daily breakfast ritual which consists of walking to a nearby cafe without touching anyone or stepping on any cracks. He always sits in the same place at the cafe and always demands to be served by the same waitress, whose name is Carol (Helen Hunt). Carol is actually the only one in the cafe who stands his constant outbursts and cruel comments. Melvin's daily routine changes through two events that end up affecting his life. First, his homosexual artist neighbor named Simon (Greg Kinnear) suffers an accident and Melvin unwillingly accepts to take care of his dog in his absence. Second, Carol's son, Spencer (Jesse James) gets ill and she quits her job. Not accepting the fact that Carol isn't there to serve him, Melvin tries to find her in order to restore order back to his life. These series of events force Melvin to change his routine and at the same time he forms an unlikely friendship with Carol and Simon proving that he isn't as bad as he seems to be.

The performances by each one of the talented actors are the heart and motor of this film. Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt share an incredible chemistry together. It's funny how despite never being able to share his feelings towards her and always saying the wrong things, it becomes clear that she does inspire him to become a better person. The supporting cast is also incredible here, especially Greg Kinnear and Cuba Gooding Jr. who deliver several funny scenes. I was partial to Brooks's work considering I had only seen How Do You Know which didn't work for me and Spanglish which I did enjoy, but As Good As it Gets is without a doubt his best work thanks to an unbelievable cast. This is a smart and funny film, which also could be cruel at times, but it was well balanced. Despite the schmaltzy story it still worked thanks to the characters that carried this film. It's hard not to leave this film with a smile on your face.

My Review: How Do You Know (5/10)

¨We are all just one small adjustment away from making our lives work.¨

How do you know when you’re in love is one of the questions one of the characters asks in this film. Director James L. Brooks (Terms of Endearment, As Good As it Gets) tries to answer that question in this romantic comedy (although I would actually label it as a dramedy) by creating a love triangle, but he fails at really trying to come up with an honest answer. The answer Matty receives to his question is ¨I know that I`m in love when I put on condoms when I´m with other girls.¨ A very superficial answer, which actually fits with this superficial movie. Brooks has directed really good films in the past, but he really missed his mark this time around. There were a few funny moments, some memorable quotes here and there, but the script (written by Brooks himself) was just too weak and the pace too slow. The first hour was torturous for me, I absolutely hated every character and every situation, but the second half of the film built up to a somewhat satisfying ending and tolerable characters. I was really disappointed with this movie because I know James L. Brooks is a very talented director and he always tries to make original movies, and I also liked the cast in this film, but the script was just too weak and the performances felt really awkward and out of place at times. I like the cast, just not how they worked together in this movie. The only positive thing I can say is that at least Brooks tries to make a different kind of romantic comedy with less clichés than most other romcoms.

The story actually centers around Lisa (Reese Witherspoon), a star softball player who has recently been cut from the National team because she will turn 31 by the time the next Olympics take place. Her life revolved entirely around the sport and now she`s at the point of her life where she doesn`t know what step to take next. She has always dated athletes and is currently seeing Matty (Owen Wilson), a professional baseball player both on and off the field. Matty is a star who is used to dating a lot of girls but really doesn’t know anything about relationships. He is clueless and really doesn’t know how to help Lisa, but he does like her a lot and realizes she is different from what he has felt for other girls. Lisa, although hesitant at first, finds comfort in George (Paul Rudd) who loves listening to her and trying to ease her. At first she thinks he`s a weirdo, but later their friendship blossoms. George is going through difficult problems himself, but he puts them aside to try to help Lisa, with whom he`s fallen in love. George is a businessman who has just been indicted from his father`s company. Charles (Jack Nicholson) actually has set up his son to become the target of a federal investigation by falsifying some corporate financial documents. If George takes the blame he will only have to pay a sentence of 2 to 3 years of jail, while Charles would have to face 25 years if his son doesn`t ¨help him out¨. Charles is that kind of father who would let his son take the blame, while George is that kind of son who is too nice and honest and way too ethical to belong in the business world.

My major problem with this movie is that the performances felt too forced at times. I didn’t like Reese Witherspoon in this movie, she was selfish and mean, and really didn’t deserve someone like George who is just way too much of a nice guy. There wasn`t much chemistry between neither of the relationships (Matty-Lisa or Lisa-George). The second half of the film picks up a little and Lisa seems to become nicer, but she really doesn’t seem interested in George`s problems which are really much larger than hers. All she has to deal with is retirement from softball, but that is really all she cared for anyways. George doesn`t seem to mind however, all he likes to do is stare at her. The funniest character in this movie is George`s secretary, Annie (played by Kathryn Hahn) and she steals each scene she`s in. That is a major problem when you have such talented and funny comedians as Jack Nicholson, Paul Rudd, and Owen Wilson. The scene where Annie is giving birth to her child and her boyfriend is proposing to her is one of the best in the movie and the chemistry those two characters have in those three minutes is much stronger than any other one in the film. This distant romance could have used a lot more comedy coming from Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd who should have been given more opportunities to improvise and loosen up.

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