Review of As Good as It Gets (1997) by Amheretojudge — 16 Sep 2018

Is actually as good as cinema can get..

As Good As It Gets As Good As It Gets is a character driven drama about a frustrated man suffering from OCD whose consequences are paid by the people surrounding him. The characteristics of the characters are well crafted and detail that offers more personal experience to the viewers since it goes way too deep and bisects it wisely by comparing it with others; a masterstroke by the writers to meddle with the audience subconsciously. It's parallel tracks are given equal importance with fine polishing around the edges that is decorated by the three dimensional characters that resides in this typical New York neighborhood. The background score by Zimmer is impressive, the cinematography is decent if not extraordinary but has fine editing and camera work that is breezy and light and is uplifted by music that plays vital role in order to elevate the momentum. Nicholson is in his A game where he redefines his throne and proves why he still is the best of all and on the other end, Hunt is equally challenging and replies to his all serves with a winning shot where both of them are supported nicely by Kinnear and Gooding Jr. The narration is elaborative and not stretchy with adaptive tone that unfortunately wears off in its latter stages as it loses its grip on settling for a mellow course. Brooks's execution is what fuels this familiar drama and offers a fresher perspective to it that is brimmed with tiny cathartic notions that are just pills for adrenaline rush to the audience. Ticking for more than two hours and fixating on a singular topic, it is surprisingly intriguing enough to keep us invested in it. The dry humoristic tone of each character, the morale conflicts and their answer to it and Nicholson and Hunt's stellar performances are the high points of the feature. As Good As It Gets is actually as good as cinema can get on terms of the craft it carries out from mundane events.