La critique de Reelviews/Movies reviews

 

As Good as It Gets is a perfect Christmas release, not because the story takes place during the Yule season, but because many of the plot elements are straight out of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. There's more than just a little Scrooge in Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson), the most unpleasant man in Manhattan.

 

And, like Scrooge, the unwilling sinner is on the road to redemption. Instead of four ghosts, we have four living, breathing entities (one woman, two men, and a dog), but the result is the same. By the time we leave the theater, the warmth of love has melted the coldest heart on Earth. That's the reason this is called a "feel good" movie.

 

As Good as It Gets is really two related movies in one, which explains the surprisingly long running time. While 138 minutes is fine for an epic adventure or a weighty drama, it makes a lightweight effort like this seem a little bloated. The film is ambitious: it tries to wed the modern-day, non-supernatural A Christmas Carol with a traditional romantic comedy.

 

Director James L. Brooks, who does these kinds of movies as well as anyone in Hollywood, has moderate success. As Good as It Gets is not a positive triumph, but it does bring a smile to the face and, perhaps in some cases, a tear to the eye.