This is almost as Good as it Gets

Rating: 8/10 (17 January 2005)

This film is one of the most interesting studies of relationships ever captured on screen. The characters are perfectly formed, the interplay is seamless, and as the characters grow on each other we grow with them.
Jack Nicholson(in his most complicated role) is Melvin Udall, an obsessive compulsive romance novelist.He is very anti-social and just wants to be left alone. Enter Carol Connely (played with gusto by Helen Hunt) a waitress whom the obsessive compulsive Melvin needs to wait on him every morning. Both Nicholson and Hunt won Oscars for their roles and their interplay is breathtaking. I enjoy nothing better than to see two actors in exceptional roles working together, and as Good as it Gets is a perfect example. We see their excellent chemistry working throughout the film unlike in say, Silence of the lambs where Foster and Hopkins only had a few scenes together.
Then we meet Melvin's gay neighbour, Simon Bishop who is hospitalised after he catches people breaking into his home.Simon's dog is sent to stay with Melvin and perhaps the most interesting relationship develops between the two.
The rest of the film is the developing relationships between the characters and how they come to care for each other as well as us care for them.
I will not spoil all the bizarre and touching events that take place in this film but rest assured there are many. There are moments where your heart will skip a beat. Such as when Melvin says to Carrol with more sincerity than Sting, you make me want to be a better man.
Cuba Gooding Jr has a small role in this. Watch out for the very funny scene where he forces the dog on Melvin. There is also a small appearance by Yeardly Smith (the voice of Lisa Simpson).
The one down point in this movie is that the romance novelist side of Melvin's character is never explored, which is unfortunate since you cannot add such a bizarre feature to a character like this and not explain it. The director could have taken an extra scene to convey this characteristic.
Nonetheless, this is a film you can't not love. For each person there are different moments you will always remember and there is no one who will be left untouched.