Open hearted and downright charming

Rating: 6/10 (10 December 2014)

Jack Nicholson is utterly brilliant as Melvin Udall - a man who learns to be generous simply by his adherence to his formula - charming, funny and quick-witted, whilst still emotional and pained by his disorder. Helen Hunt is delightfully memorable, giving a warm and open hearted performance as Carol. Greg Kinnear is also effective, but the little he has to work with in the script prevents him from achieving the same level of success as his co-stars. Cuba Gooding Jr. and Jill the dog are also scene-stealers.
The chemistry between Nicholson and Hunt is magnificent, despite the age gap that is distracting at times, and Nicholson really glosses up some of the film's best lines. The script does feel padded at times - Kinnear's character feels like an afterthought at times, and the romance ducks and weaves for about 20 minutes too long - but As Good As It Gets is so open hearted and disarmingly charming that it is worth the time to watch.