It could have got better

Movie: As Good As It Gets

Cast: Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear

Rating: ***

Some people come into your life to change it forever. It gives you a new direction in life, sometimes for the better or the worse.  This movie is about a morose novelist, an overprotective and single mother/waitress and a gay artist who meet each other and change their lives along the way.

As good as it gets begins with the story of an unfriendly neighbour (Nicholson) suffering from OCD who slowly begins loving his neighbour’s dog, helps out his neighbour in his misery and finally falls in love. Then comes the story of the troubled mother (Hunt) spending all her time worrying about her asthmatic son but finally finds her will to live and love. Finally the story of the artist and disowned son  (Kinnear) who is completely disrupted following a burglary but gathers himself after finding his inspiration and support. It mainly traces the lives of the three protagonists who have their share of problems and difficulties to deal with. Then they happen to cross each other’s paths and at the end of it come out as brand new individuals with a new meaning to life.

The movie is widely descriptive in nature. Dialogues are really catchy and slick especially my favourite is the one when a fan asks Jack “How do you write women so well?” and he answers,”I think of a man and I take away reason and accountability.” Classic. All the applause of this movie is for its performances. Jack Nicholson is brilliant as the cranky neighbour suffering from OCD. Helen Hunt also is superb as the lonely and troubled mother. This movie had all the ingredients but maybe not in the right proportion or missed something. Overall it fell short of being a great movie.