Hi guys!!! Welcome back to our blog after the Winter recess. Well, here's some more work for you, hopefully one that you will enjoy.
I'm posting several reviews of the movie we've watched As good as it gets. Your task is to either choose one review or parts of different reviews and say why you agree or disagree with it.
Some of them have been shortened and I'm including the source in case you want to read more.
Deadline: a week after we finish with the analysis in class.
http://www.ardemgaz.com/cgi/showreview.pl?Jack+Nicholson~+As+Good+as+It+Gets
by PHILIP MARTINARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
James L. Brooks' As Good as It Gets is a precariously balanced movie, one that flirts with smugness. That it isn't awful is in some respects amazing. It is tempting to write it off as one of those designer romantic comedies for readers of The New Yorker, quiche-eaters and the urbane elite. It makes such smug assumptions about its audience, its demographics are so finely tuned: Yes, here we have the brave working-class woman struggling to make it while caring for a sickly child. Here we have the sweet, gay painter who seems more connected to his little dog than any human being. And over here we have the most unpleasant man in the world, an obsessive-compulsive romance novelist who, as movie irony must have it, seems absolutely incapable of love. It could have been one bad chick flick, a predictable smarmathon replete with psychobabble about wounded inner children. It would end with swelling music and a long-deferred kiss. But Brooks is not stupid. He cast Jack Nicholson as the misanthrope and that made all the difference. Now As Good as It Gets is being hailed in some quarters as a leading Academy Award contender. It showed up on a bunch of critics' "10 best" lists. It's a box-office hit. The fact that Nicholson is playing this character tells us something. A canny director can make use of this phenomenon.
by PHILIP MARTINARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
James L. Brooks' As Good as It Gets is a precariously balanced movie, one that flirts with smugness. That it isn't awful is in some respects amazing. It is tempting to write it off as one of those designer romantic comedies for readers of The New Yorker, quiche-eaters and the urbane elite. It makes such smug assumptions about its audience, its demographics are so finely tuned: Yes, here we have the brave working-class woman struggling to make it while caring for a sickly child. Here we have the sweet, gay painter who seems more connected to his little dog than any human being. And over here we have the most unpleasant man in the world, an obsessive-compulsive romance novelist who, as movie irony must have it, seems absolutely incapable of love. It could have been one bad chick flick, a predictable smarmathon replete with psychobabble about wounded inner children. It would end with swelling music and a long-deferred kiss. But Brooks is not stupid. He cast Jack Nicholson as the misanthrope and that made all the difference. Now As Good as It Gets is being hailed in some quarters as a leading Academy Award contender. It showed up on a bunch of critics' "10 best" lists. It's a box-office hit. The fact that Nicholson is playing this character tells us something. A canny director can make use of this phenomenon.
http://movies.tvguide.com/good-gets/review/132715
You have to admire the sheer audacity of a comedy that opens with a man heaving a little dog down a garbage chute. Dogs, after all -- especially ugly-cute ones that look like they should be auditioning for Gremlins 3 -- are the sacred cows of contemporary Hollywood. That said, Verdell the ankle-biter recovers and proves to be the downfall of his tormentor, Melvin the monster. Melvin (Jack Nicholson) is a cranky, clinically obsessive-compulsive romance writer who lobs atomic bomb-quality put-downs at all who cross his path, including neighbor Simon (Greg Kinnear), who provides plenty of ammo by being gay, an artist and Verdell's indulgent owner. Melvin is simply repugnant, a hideous and self-centered caricature of a human being, and Nicholson's performance is fearlessly repellent. Melvin's rituals include a daily trip to the restaurant where he's served by Carol (Helen Hunt), the only waitress who can stomach his endless abuse. Carol, of course, has her own troubles: She's the single mother of gravely ill Spence (Jesse James). Verdell's vengeance starts when Simon is brutally assaulted by a hustler-turned-model (Skeet Ulrich) and his droogies: Simon's art dealer (Cuba Gooding Jr.) bullies Melvin into tending Verdell while Simon is hospitalized, and to his own amazement, Melvin falls for the scruffy pup. When Simon reclaims Verdell, Melvin shifts his newfound beneficence to Carol, getting Spence to a fancy doctor. While the initial surprise of Nicholson's devastating cruelty gives the impression that anything can happen, the picture settles into an all-too-predictable (and unconvincing) end. "As good as it gets" is an overstatement. The movie's too long, and the direction is sometimes slack -- but the script is crammed with withering ripostes, ably delivered by Nicholson and Hunt.
http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/78205/as_good_as_it_gets.html
The film may be more ambitious and sophisticated than most Hollywood comedy-dramas, but for all the delight it takes in Melvin's outrageous sarcasm, it never quite eschews cornball cliché. Nicholson gives a committed, credible, typically charismatic performance, and the rest of the cast lends able support. The trouble lies in the rambling narrative, Brooks' cautious direction and the cosy tone which renders the whole thing reminiscent of an extended sitcom.
Author: GA
http://www.darkhorizons.com/reviews/65/As-Good-as-it-Gets
By Garth Franklin
Not only one of the best romantic comedies of the year, but one of the best films in ages - "As Good as it Gets" certainly lives up to its title. With a truckload of cynical laughs and some compelling emotional moments, .
The performances are truly great all around, Jack Nicholson gives a career highlight performance as the obsessive-compulsive 'Melvin' who's totally upfront and somewhat . Rarely does the two romantic leads match each other in quality, but Helen Hunt plays her best role yet making her character likable, funny, intelligent and emotional.
Greg Kinnear puts in a surprising and enjoyable performance as 'Simon', a gay artist and neighbour who puts up with Melvin's insults (which fly thick and fast) and like the leads is both funny and emotionally real. Cuba Gooding Jr. does excellent work with his few minutes of screen time, playing a gay art dealer who sells Simon's work and stands up to Melvin whenever he puts Simon down - a guy full of assertiveness and realism that is very rarely given to any gay film characters.
All the remaining supporting roles are enjoyable, ranging from Shirley Knight as Carol's excitable mother who just exudes cheerfulness, Yeardley Smith in a brief but funny cameo (always liked her), and of course the scene-stealer being Verdell who is quite simply the cutest and funniest dog I've ever seen in a movie.
The character-driven script is extremely intelligent, the plot is a bit thin but the pacing is fast and there rarely comes any dull moments. It also doesn't fall into the boring 'schmaltzy' last half hour as so many romantic comedies do, and in fact takes an audacious step by running around 50 minutes longer than most.
Any faults? Well there really isn't any particular scenes that stick in one's memory (eg. the "When Harry met Sally" restaurant-orgasm scene), there are some points where the film drags but quickly picks up again - the best example coming early on involving Kinnear drawing a sketch of Skeet Urlich's character and then being beaten by a gang of robbers.
The unpleasantness of the moment though is lifted by a very funny scene in the hospital involving Kinnear, Gooding Jr. & Smith. "As Good as it Gets" is definitely one of the best films of 1997, and though it just misses becoming a 'classic film, it's still thoroughly entertaining and you'll leave the cinema with a very warm and content feeling.
You have to admire the sheer audacity of a comedy that opens with a man heaving a little dog down a garbage chute. Dogs, after all -- especially ugly-cute ones that look like they should be auditioning for Gremlins 3 -- are the sacred cows of contemporary Hollywood. That said, Verdell the ankle-biter recovers and proves to be the downfall of his tormentor, Melvin the monster. Melvin (Jack Nicholson) is a cranky, clinically obsessive-compulsive romance writer who lobs atomic bomb-quality put-downs at all who cross his path, including neighbor Simon (Greg Kinnear), who provides plenty of ammo by being gay, an artist and Verdell's indulgent owner. Melvin is simply repugnant, a hideous and self-centered caricature of a human being, and Nicholson's performance is fearlessly repellent. Melvin's rituals include a daily trip to the restaurant where he's served by Carol (Helen Hunt), the only waitress who can stomach his endless abuse. Carol, of course, has her own troubles: She's the single mother of gravely ill Spence (Jesse James). Verdell's vengeance starts when Simon is brutally assaulted by a hustler-turned-model (Skeet Ulrich) and his droogies: Simon's art dealer (Cuba Gooding Jr.) bullies Melvin into tending Verdell while Simon is hospitalized, and to his own amazement, Melvin falls for the scruffy pup. When Simon reclaims Verdell, Melvin shifts his newfound beneficence to Carol, getting Spence to a fancy doctor. While the initial surprise of Nicholson's devastating cruelty gives the impression that anything can happen, the picture settles into an all-too-predictable (and unconvincing) end. "As good as it gets" is an overstatement. The movie's too long, and the direction is sometimes slack -- but the script is crammed with withering ripostes, ably delivered by Nicholson and Hunt.
http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/78205/as_good_as_it_gets.html
The film may be more ambitious and sophisticated than most Hollywood comedy-dramas, but for all the delight it takes in Melvin's outrageous sarcasm, it never quite eschews cornball cliché. Nicholson gives a committed, credible, typically charismatic performance, and the rest of the cast lends able support. The trouble lies in the rambling narrative, Brooks' cautious direction and the cosy tone which renders the whole thing reminiscent of an extended sitcom.
Author: GA
http://www.darkhorizons.com/reviews/65/As-Good-as-it-Gets
By Garth Franklin
Not only one of the best romantic comedies of the year, but one of the best films in ages - "As Good as it Gets" certainly lives up to its title. With a truckload of cynical laughs and some compelling emotional moments, .
The performances are truly great all around, Jack Nicholson gives a career highlight performance as the obsessive-compulsive 'Melvin' who's totally upfront and somewhat . Rarely does the two romantic leads match each other in quality, but Helen Hunt plays her best role yet making her character likable, funny, intelligent and emotional.
Greg Kinnear puts in a surprising and enjoyable performance as 'Simon', a gay artist and neighbour who puts up with Melvin's insults (which fly thick and fast) and like the leads is both funny and emotionally real. Cuba Gooding Jr. does excellent work with his few minutes of screen time, playing a gay art dealer who sells Simon's work and stands up to Melvin whenever he puts Simon down - a guy full of assertiveness and realism that is very rarely given to any gay film characters.
All the remaining supporting roles are enjoyable, ranging from Shirley Knight as Carol's excitable mother who just exudes cheerfulness, Yeardley Smith in a brief but funny cameo (always liked her), and of course the scene-stealer being Verdell who is quite simply the cutest and funniest dog I've ever seen in a movie.
The character-driven script is extremely intelligent, the plot is a bit thin but the pacing is fast and there rarely comes any dull moments. It also doesn't fall into the boring 'schmaltzy' last half hour as so many romantic comedies do, and in fact takes an audacious step by running around 50 minutes longer than most.
Any faults? Well there really isn't any particular scenes that stick in one's memory (eg. the "When Harry met Sally" restaurant-orgasm scene), there are some points where the film drags but quickly picks up again - the best example coming early on involving Kinnear drawing a sketch of Skeet Urlich's character and then being beaten by a gang of robbers.
The unpleasantness of the moment though is lifted by a very funny scene in the hospital involving Kinnear, Gooding Jr. & Smith. "As Good as it Gets" is definitely one of the best films of 1997, and though it just misses becoming a 'classic film, it's still thoroughly entertaining and you'll leave the cinema with a very warm and content feeling.
oh, the first one!!! great!!
ResponderEliminarMovie review.
I have chosen the last movie review by Garth Franklin as, in my opinion, is the most complete one. There are many interesting points to take into account while analyzing the movie and others that are not so convincing and that is the reason with I agree and, at the same time, disagree with the review.
First of all, the reviewer starts dealing with the different actors and their performances and I totally agree with him as they are true to life and extremely funny. In other words, he describes the essence of each character.
In the second place, I would say that I do not agree with the final comment as the reviewer says that there are no particular scenes that “stick in one`s memory”. In my opinion, there are many instances in the movie that I remembered as they are extremely significant and have touched me deeply. For example, when Verdell doesn´t want to go with Simon and prefers Melvin.
To sum up, as far as I am concerned, the review is very complete and it has points I agree with and others that are not valid for me. Although I differ with the reviewer about some aspects, I think his work is the best comment about the movie “As Good As It Gets”.
see you
I have chosen just a part of the first review. I totally agree with the fact that As good as it gets is a box-office hit and that the fact that Nicholoson and hunt are the ones who play these characters shows the quality of this film. I can´t say nothing about the direction because I don´t know much. I can only say that the movie is well organized and the message is easy to achieve by people.
ResponderEliminarHello everybody!!
ResponderEliminarWell...what can I say?? I haven't chosen a review in particular...Most of them, all of them I think, highights Jack Nicholson's performance and I believe he deserves it. I totally agree with the author who says that the actor was really committed to his character. I couldn't agree more with the author who claims that there are not dull moments during the film...It was a very funny and entertaining movie!! What I also think is true is that the film is not the typical romantic comedy...applauses for the director!!
see us people!!
On the one hand, I agree with Garth Franklin´s review because I think that after watching the film "As good as it gets" you feel happy and completely satisfied with its end. Moreover, the characteristics that Franklin gives to each of the characters are true. On the other hand, I don´t know if this movie is one of the best romantic comedies of the year. From my point of view, it is a very funny as well interesting one since you can know the way of life that an obsessive-compulsive person has.
ResponderEliminarSee you!!! Luci...
Sorry!!! The expression is: as well as...
ResponderEliminarI agree with the reviewers that look on the actors and actresses' performances as what gives sense to the script. I mean, the movie could have been a flop if it wasn't for the commitment of the ones who gave life to the written part of the movie. However, we, as spectators, should not disregard the importance of the roles of the people behind the camera, who probably played determining roles that contributed to make of "As good as it gets" a box-office hit.
ResponderEliminarHi pals!
ResponderEliminarWell...let's see..I agree with Garth Franklin's review because I think is the one which deals with all the characters. At least the most important ones.
First of all, I agree with what he says about the actors and actresses's performances. There is no doubt that this is the best film ever.
I totally agree with the idea that Verdell is the cutest and funniest dog I've never seen in a movie. He's just lovely!
What I don't agree with is that there aren's any scene that sticks in one's memory. I will never forget the scene in which Verdell started barking, in a way, to show that something awful was taking place in Simon's appartment. The espression Verdell made when he heard the noises coming from the dining room, was indescribible.
that's all folks
See ya ;)
Interesting comments guys! However, I agree with Cande and Cintia in most aspects because I prefer the review by Garth Franklin too.
ResponderEliminarI couldn’t agree more when he says the performances were truly great…I'd say EXCELLENT! I believe that romantic comedies are fantastic, and this is the best example! Those kinds of movies make you feel that you’re not the only one who does silly and embarrassing things because of love…everybody does! =)
But I wanted to say that, as Cintia, I don’t think there aren’t any particular scenes that stick in your memory. In my opinion there are many scenes which may cause a lot of emotions on the spectator, for instance, when Simon tells Carol his sad story, among others.
"As Good as it Gets" is definitely one of the best films!! I really enjoyed it.
I go along with the first review when the writer says that “As good as it gets” is a box-office hit and that Jack Nicholson`s performance is not only great but also important. In my opinion, this actor suits his character perfectly.
ResponderEliminarHowever, I don´t agree with the second review when its author claims that the film is too long and exaggerated. I really enjoyed watching it and I don`t find it boring at all. For me, this film depicts real life characters with their different lifestyles who help each other no matter their distint social conditions.
Sofia Galoppo
ResponderEliminarHello all!
ResponderEliminarI liked both the first and the last reviews, and I agree with pretty much everything these two guys say, yet I feel the reviewers tend to underestimate the performance of Helen Hunt and Greg Kinnear, which to me seemed as remarkable and flawless as Nicholson's
That's it!
nacho
Good job guys! I think we all agree on the fact that the performances are outstanding in this movie. I really enjoyed watching the film with you and was certainly pleased with your work in class.
ResponderEliminarHi,I'm late, sorry!!
ResponderEliminarAfter reading the reviews I started thinking in a lot of things I haven't thought about.
I partially agree with the first one, from PHILIP MARTINARKANSAS,when it says that the movie wouldn't be as good as it is if it wasn't for Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt.
I also agree with Garth Franklin, when he says that the movie is thoroughly entertaining, and after watching it, it leaves you with a warm and content feeling.
That's it, see you!
ResponderEliminarSofi Calvinho