As Good As It Gets Movie (1997)

"This is a wickedly funny movie, dealing with an illness often reduced to the butt of jokes. It is fitting then that Jack Nicholson's portrayal of Melvin an obsessive compulsive is tragically genuine, yet wonderfully funny in its demonstration of the complete irrationality typical of the disease. Nicholson neither plays the character as a martyr, nor as a completely inhuman being. Rather the facets of his character develop as his love firstly for a dog and then for a woman compromise his insular and restricted lifestyle. The developing relationship between Nicholson and Helen Hunt's Carol is lovely to watch, particularly the growingly evident fact that Melvin the obsessive and Carol the neurotic have more in common with each other than they realise. Furthermore it is a joy to watch the chemistry between Melvin and the dog Verdal. Most evidently this is a movie that demonstrates the important and healing effect human relationships can have on people. It is not dependent on special effects, gimmicks or even conventionally good looking actors, rather it simply relies on an absolutely fantastic, flawless script. Nicholson delivers his lines like no other actor could, enunicating his deliciously shocking reproaches with his own personal charisma. This is probably why the film gets away with some of Melvin's more bigoted attitudes. Also because Melvin insults just about everyone he comes into contact with it is difficult to take his straight talking attitude personally. Rather it should simply be viewed as symptomatic of his illness, and ultimately the joke is on Melvin who can't walk on the cracks in the pavement, or eat with the restaurant cutlery. I can return to this film time and time again and it never fails to make me laugh out loud. It has real heart and depicts a subtle, unusual and genuine romance, that draws out the humanity behind Nicholson's anti-social and critical Melvin. Melvin's character development from his this is 'as good as it gets' attitude, to his realisation that Carol 'makes him want to be a better man', poignantly demonstrates his desire to overcome his illness in order to truely live his life. Jack Nicholson throughly deserved his oscar for his portrayal of the truelly one-off Melvin"

A wonderful flim!

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