I really don't know why I was drawn to a Jack Nicholson film again. He drives me bonkers. But he just has that magnetic pull in some films. He's such an enigma. Not that enigmas scare/anger/upset me so much, but he's just so far beyond my capacity to figure out. I don't usually get into stuff like that -- but with Nicholson, I can't seem to help it.
Is Jack Nicholson the characters he portrays or are the characters he portrays Jack Nicholson? Has he built up all this "attitude"that he displays off-screen because he's trying to live up to the caricatures of characters he plays?
I really never got the whole fascination with As Good As It Gets. I thought Nicholson was just playing himself and it irritated me that he won an AcademyAward for it. Of course, Helen Hunt was just playing herself, too, and I will never forgive the Academy for granting her an Oscar over Dame Judi's portrayal of Mrs. Brown.
But back to Schmidt.
It shocked me that I loved this move so much! I'm not really sure how and why a film like this gets called a comedy. It's just so poignant. It isn't really a drama. There's certainly humor but the term comedy just doesn't fit for me in reference to this and other films of similar ilk. Anyhow...
I felt great compassion for Nicholson's character and I felt he excelled in actually acting. After watching it once, I was compelled to replay some scenes because I just wanted to relish his performance a little longer.
Of course, I was more than a little green with envy over his RV and the opportunity he'd had to take off traveling. That is my dream --but I seriously doubt I'll ever do it.
I didn't care for some of the extra material on the DVD, but I did thoroughly enjoy the several scenes that had been edited out of the film, complete with explanations about why they weren't included. Gave lots of insight into the director's mind.
I suspect this is one of those movies that either strikes a chord with a viewer or not. For me, it struck several chords and really made me stop and think about my own situation in life.
Jack Nicholson, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, Kathy Bates.
Directed by Alexander Payne.
My personal rating: A-
Is Jack Nicholson the characters he portrays or are the characters he portrays Jack Nicholson? Has he built up all this "attitude"that he displays off-screen because he's trying to live up to the caricatures of characters he plays?
I really never got the whole fascination with As Good As It Gets. I thought Nicholson was just playing himself and it irritated me that he won an AcademyAward for it. Of course, Helen Hunt was just playing herself, too, and I will never forgive the Academy for granting her an Oscar over Dame Judi's portrayal of Mrs. Brown.
But back to Schmidt.
It shocked me that I loved this move so much! I'm not really sure how and why a film like this gets called a comedy. It's just so poignant. It isn't really a drama. There's certainly humor but the term comedy just doesn't fit for me in reference to this and other films of similar ilk. Anyhow...
I felt great compassion for Nicholson's character and I felt he excelled in actually acting. After watching it once, I was compelled to replay some scenes because I just wanted to relish his performance a little longer.
Of course, I was more than a little green with envy over his RV and the opportunity he'd had to take off traveling. That is my dream --but I seriously doubt I'll ever do it.
I didn't care for some of the extra material on the DVD, but I did thoroughly enjoy the several scenes that had been edited out of the film, complete with explanations about why they weren't included. Gave lots of insight into the director's mind.
I suspect this is one of those movies that either strikes a chord with a viewer or not. For me, it struck several chords and really made me stop and think about my own situation in life.
Jack Nicholson, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, Kathy Bates.
Directed by Alexander Payne.
My personal rating: A-
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