"…A Better Person…" – As Good As It Gets on BLU
RAY
Melvin is a bit of a boor. And that’s not even taking into
account that he’s full of crap too. Ensconced in his plush 5th Avenue
apartment – famous and wealthy author
Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) sits in front of his beautifully lit computer.
Speaking softly and eloquently to himself as he composes the revelatory ending
of his 62nd book - he types warm words about love and deep relationships. The
only problem is that in the real world Melvin sucks at both with the ferocity
of a gummy budgie on several uppers.
Then there’s the compulsive behaviour he indulges in
privately and publicly because he’s a bank account that afford it –
foil-wrapped bars of soap he uses only once (tapping the cabinet mirror each
time he opens a new one) and leather gloves he bins after one outing. Mountains
of expensive LPs all lined up in perfect alphabetical order - luxurious foot
platters in the fridge in shrinkwrap that he won’t eat. In fact compulsion
dominates his every action – locks on his door that have to be turned back and
forth five times followed by the light switches. He can’t cross cracks in paving
stones when he’s out on the New York streets and can’t abide anyone touching
him ("get a life" one pedestrian cries). He carries plastic knives
and forks with him in sealed bags because eating off immaculate silverware is a
"judgement call". But these rituals are small beer to his motor mouth
- that more often than not - would make an open drain seem fragrant.
"I've got Jews on my table!" Melvin protests when
a man and a woman are found sitting where he always sits (early roles for Peter
Jacobson and Lisa Edelstein – Dr. Taub and Dr. Cuddy in Hugh Laurie's
"House"). He calls gay men "fudge-packers" while a coloured
Art Agent has an "accent thick with molasses…" "Sell crazy some
place else!" he tells the cleaning lady who wishes him God in his life. He
calls an overweight waitress "elephant girl" and screams
"Now!" at her to get his food - finally getting himself barred for
life from his favourite eating hole to the applause of every single patron. But
worse than his uncontrollable verbal diarrhoea is his persistent obnoxious
behaviour – acts so unfeeling – they’d make The Hitler Youth tremble with
pride.
There’s his gay neighbour Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear) – an
idealistic painter who obsessively worships his small fluffy dog Verdell – so
Melvin chucks the tiny Brussels Griffin down the garbage chute for urinating on
the hall radiator ("wizzed for the last time you dirty dog!"). On a
visit to his publisher a worshiping secretary foolishly asks, "How do you
write women so well?" Unable to resist Melvin replies, "I think of a
man – and take away all reason and accountability…" Even the warm-hearted
waitress Carol Connolly (Helen Hunt) who works at CAFÉ (the only restaurant
he’ll use in Manhattan) - the one person in the whole wide world who will put
up with his God awful mannerisms and impatience - is having a hard time not
poking his eyes with a red hot poker after a staggeringly offhand and cold
remark about her sick Asthmatic son.
Both Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt won the Oscar for 1997’s
"As Good As It Gets" – and not without reason. They’re simply
fabulous in their roles as polar opposite people – weary souls who long for
release from their respective personal prisons. But for my money the writing of
Mark Andrus and Director James L. Brooks should have pulled a statue too. The
movie has a ballbreakingly funny script that relishes in the attack - but also
knows when to turn on the heart. Melvin shouts as a cackle of school kids on
the sidewalk - "Children Stop!" - and all do in abject terror. When
Dr. Bettes (the wonderful Harold Ramis) tells working-mum Carol that her sick
son Spencer will now suffer less from his breathing problems and allergies
because Melvin has stumped up $61,000 in medical bills to get her back to work
and waiting on him – it’s funny, moving and beautiful. It drew tears in our
house.
The CAFÉ scene where Carol tries to explain her gratitude
for the miracle of life Melvin has given her son - is tender and awkward and
genuinely touching – and his response of "lovely" when he just wants
her to stop is so utterly on the money for his character’s inner demons. When
they do finally have dinner together on a car trip to Baltimore to raise cash from
Simon’s rich parents (he’s broke and needs to keep his apartment) – Melvin pays
Carol a real compliment for the first time (dialogue above) and a softer better
person emerges.
Even as a seasoned watcher - you forget just how good Jack
Nicholson really is. In full flight – he’s an awesome thing to see and his
character’s awfulness towards all of humanity is a wonder to behold. And yet
you love him – monumental prick that he is – he gives his Melvin a beating
heart. Not to be outdone on the robbed-of-an-Oscar front – I’d also state that
another statue should have been handed out to Greg Kinnear as sensitive Simon
in what has to be a career-best performance from him. Having been beaten to a
facial pulp by a model that cased his soft touch place for a robbery (Skeet
Ulrich) – the scene where he’s out of hospital and breaks down in front of
Nicholson in his apartment is stupendous - and was shown at the Oscar
ceremonies. It took real boots to go up against a consummate scene-stealer like
JN and our Greg pulled it off convincingly. Look closely too and you’ll catch a
few lines by the author of Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back (and the new one
too), Raiders Of The Lost Ark and The Big Chill - Lawrence Kasdan - making an
appearance as Dr. Green in Melvin’s Fifth Avenue Psychiatric Group.
Defaulted to Aspect Ratio 1.85:1 – the picture fills the
entire screen and is gorgeous throughout. Only on a very few occasions do faces
go slightly out of focus – mostly it just looks like quality all the way.
I bought the German Region B version (Besser Geht’s Nicht on Barcode 4030521707481) that has the Region ABC Logo on the rear - meaning it’s all regions or region free. A very real let down however is the complete absence of any Extras – not even a Trailer for God’s sake. I say this because I’ve long raved about the commentary that accompanies the whole film on the DVD release where Nicholson gives it some seriously informative and funny raconteur throughout "I'm upstaged by a fucking dog!" What a shame it isn’t on here. Subtitles are extensive too (details available from Amazon).
I bought the German Region B version (Besser Geht’s Nicht on Barcode 4030521707481) that has the Region ABC Logo on the rear - meaning it’s all regions or region free. A very real let down however is the complete absence of any Extras – not even a Trailer for God’s sake. I say this because I’ve long raved about the commentary that accompanies the whole film on the DVD release where Nicholson gives it some seriously informative and funny raconteur throughout "I'm upstaged by a fucking dog!" What a shame it isn’t on here. Subtitles are extensive too (details available from Amazon).
There are some Directors I will seek out – Terry Gilliam,
Wes Anderson, Nadine Labaki, Peter Howitt, John Borman, Peter Chelsom, Mira
Nair, Paul Haggis, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Paul Greengrass, Nadine Lahti
and James L. Brooks are among them. They produce movies of depth, wit and hope
– and the brill "As Good As It Gets" is right up there.
"You make me want to be a better person…" Melvin
says to Carol in a rare moment of genuine breakthrough.
Make your home a sweeter place too by adding this
dysfunctional nugget of love to your shopping basket…
