Of course, with a title like that, it's asking for it but let's just hope that this isn't as good as it gets: if so, I'm never venturing in to the movie theatres again. Rubbish, dressed up with good actors like Mr. Nicholson and Ms. Hunt is still rubbish. And this from Mr. James L. Brooks, the man who brought us Broadcast News. Clearly, I didn't like the film. Let me tell you why.

The major reason is Melvin Udall (Mr. Jack Nicholson). This is a nasty person: he's racist, he's sexist, he's homophobic, he's a bully, he's just plain rude to everyone he meets. This is not a nice man. I don't have a problem with that. I'm quite happy for a movie to focus on an evil character, or for it to look at the life of an unhappy person, or even concentrate on a psychologically disturbed person. The problem with As Good As It Gets is that it's standard Hollywood trash: underneath this gruff exterior beats a heart of gold. Melvin may say horrible, hurtful things, he may threaten and intimidate people but deep down he's just a teddy bear who wants to be loved. He can be saved by the love of a good woman. This is the kind of garbage that gets people beaten up or raped.

As Good As It Gets wants to have it both ways: by having a nasty character, the movie can have someone say some very funny lines. I don't know why nasty is funny, but it is. Take a look at a Seinfeld episode: these are shallow, self-centred people and, as such, they're very funny. The difference is that Seinfeld never tries to redeem its characters: you're not meant to like them, you're just meant to laugh at them. As Good As It Gets, however, isn't happy to leave things like this. It wants a hero, perhaps a flawed hero, but a hero all the same. It doesn't matter which way you stretch things, Melvin is never going to fit the shape of a hero.

There are other minor problems with this movie such as Mr. Kinnear. Early on, his performance is so stereotyped and over the top that his character appears ridiculous. In his favour, he does settle down in to the role to make Simon Bishop a real human being but it's hard to forget that early prancing. Similarly, even if we can get over the idea of this nasty person being a love interest, pairing Mr. Nicholson with Ms. Hunt is a bit much. There is a scene late in the movie where Melvin is talking to Carol (Ms. Hunt) and Carol's mother pops her head out. Out that point, it is obvious that Melvin is probably too old for the mother, let alone Carol (real-life not withstanding). Also, the movie is much too long. This seems to be increasingly the trend with serious movies having to mark themselves thus by their length.

Ultimately, however, As Good As It Gets rests on the shoulders of Melvin and Carol (Simon is just a distraction for Melvin to prove his real worth). While both Mr. Nicholson and Ms. Hunt are up to the job required of them in the acting department, and Carol seems like an interesting enough character, why she would want to give Melvin the time of day is beyond me. I have no sympathy for Melvin, and none for Carol by the end of the movie. Which makes As Good As It Gets a very long 138 minutes.

Rating: CP