Romantic Comedy about OCD that Flags at the End

Rating: 6/10 (22 August 2016)

James L. Brooks's film contains good examples of the kind of acting (often labeled "great acting" that wins a lot of plaudits but consciously draws attention to itself in a way that might seem superficially attractive but palls in the end.
Such is the case with Jack Nicholson's Melvin Udall, a curmudgeonly writer suffering from OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), and living on his own in a well-to-do New York apartment. His particular forte consists of being excessively rude to everyone, from his gay neighbor Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear), to Simon's African American friend Frank Sachs (Cuba Gooding jnr.) and the cleaner Nora (Lupe Ontiveros). Some of Melvin's put-downs are so outrageous that we wonder why anyone puts up with them.
Melvin's character starts to change when he is unwillingly deputed to look after Simon's little dog Verdell (Jill), while Simon is in hospital, and a relationship develops between the human being and the animal. Meanwhile Melvin shows a hitherto undiscovered streak of generosity as he pays for a high society doctor to treat Carol Connelly's (Helen Hunt's) little son who suffers from a rare form of asthma.
As the film develops, so Melvin's softer side begins to show itself; we discover that the reason for his OCD lies largely within himself and his reluctance to admit his true feelings. The story takes a sentimental turn, especially when Melvin, Simon, and Carol go off together for a trip to Baltimore to see Simon's parents.
While Nicholson obviously enjoys monopolizing our attention, we nonetheless get the feeling that he is consciously acting for the camera: every little gesture and facial expression is scrutinized in minute detail as we learn something of the soft underbelly of the character he portrays. The ending is predictable, and somewhat implausible, as Melvin sloughs off his OCD in remarkably quick time and learns something about how to treat his fellow-human beings decently.
Helen Hunt does what she can with a thankless role; throughout this lengthy film we get the sense that she exists as no more than a foil to Nicholson's star persona: all her gestures and facial expressions depend on how he reacts. She remains perfectly plausible as a server trying to make the best of her humdrum life, but we end up wanting to know more about her complex psyche rather than witnessing yet another (slightly clichéd) exchange between herself and Melvin.
AS GOOD AS IT GETS is an entertaining film, with Mark Andrus's script containing a fair share of witticisms, but the tone changes for the worse as the action unfolds, as director Brooks substitutes hard- edged comedy for sentimentality, with the plot chugging towards its predictable end. The film represents something of a missed opportunity to look at the consequences of OCD and how it can destroy a personality.