As Good As It Gets

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

The movie "Iris" is about a female writer, who lives in England and gets to suffer from Alzheimer's disease in her old age. In her youth she's about to write a big novel and is a Master Degree Candidate. Iris meets a man, John, to a party. John's highly educated as well – he's a professor. Iris and John get fond of each other and spend a lot of time together, but they're not really lovers. They like to swim a lot and during the movie we see the ocean repeating times. Iris is a very independent and eccentric woman – she has several friends, whom she gets to bed with. This sets John up, because he likes her a lot. He confronts her and after some time they get married. In her old age Iris gets interviewed in a TV-show, where the first symptoms of dementia are showing. She forgets what to say and from now on her illness only gets worser – Iris repeats herself and leaves home, where she can't find the way back. John is very protecting, understanding and supporting upon Iris. He still loves her as much as before her disease. In the end Iris moves into a nursing home. Here she feels happiness.In my opinion it's a good, but sad movie because we see how one person changes as a cause of dementia. We also see how John struggles just to make it through the day with the woman, he loves, who now is ill. There's also more focus on and talking about dementia now than before. We simply know more about this terrible disease.The water in the movie symbolizes rebirth and peace. It's in our mothers wombs we are surrounded by water and there's peacefully. Just like this, Iris gets peace in the end of her life, where she dies happily.

You have to pay really good attentions to the movie; all throw it, because it changes back and forth between the present and the past. You see at lot about how john and Iris were in their younger days, and how their life's has changes from then till now. I actually get a little angry when I see how Iris treats john, and that john just adjusts to how Iris thinks there life should be, she tells john that he's the one she loves, but she doesn't really show him until they gent older. From my opinion john could have got a better and more independent life without Iris, he is a really clever man with a lot of empathy and love to give, he should have used it on someone else instead. I don't dislike Iris, she a really independent and free spirited woman, and i respect that, but she shouldn't behave the way she does around john. The movie has a really clear message, about how a person's whole life can changed because of dementia. Iris becomes a person who is totally opposite of the person she used to be. She goes from totally independent to a person who needs to be taken care of all the time. From my perspective the movie is as realistic as it could be, it really shows how dementia affects the person with dementia and the person's who are around. I don't like the characters in the movie, neither young nor old. But I like the story, and the message about life before, and life with dementia.

Essentially this is the story of love, loss and human frailty, and what a story it is. It is so truthful, powerful and heart-wrenching. The film is beautiful to watch too, with the cinematography and settings just exquisite, complete with a lovely score, a touching script and sensitive direction from Richard Eyre where he directs with a sharp academic mind. And the parallel flashbacks are beautifully done. What makes Iris are the strength of the performances, because the acting is just brilliant in this film. Judi Dench is wonderful as always, and Kate Winslet and Hugh Bonneville are believable too, but the best performances for me come from Jim Broadbent as her devoted husband Jim Bayley and Penelope Wilton as society hostess Janet Stone. In conclusion, it is a beautiful and very poignant film, so much so it hurts. 10/10 Bethany Cox

IrisA film about Irish Murdoch, renown British writer, who of Alzeihmer's and old age died. This is predominantly a story about love. Irish Murdoch marries John Bayley and they live a life together, until she dies. Rather simple, and rather straightforward. No surprises in this movie, and yet it is very beautiful one. One would think that to love is beyond words. But not for Iris. Her life evolved around words, and she famously said: "Without words, how can one think?" and yet she lost the ability to speak and think the way we do as she grew old. A rather ironic turn of events. But the story needed to be told. The love of John Bayley for Iris, throughout their young years until their old age was one that needed to be told. It goes without staying that with the heavy stardom of this movie, with the likes of Kate Winslet, Judi Dench and Jim Broadbent, acting is superb throughout. Take for example the scene where John& Iris return from the house of the man who was not the chosen by Iris as her boyfriend. John is rather disappointed that he has not read Iris' new book and says so as they walk back through the sunny street. Iris then turns on the threshold of her house, with a look of fear in her eyes, and doubt, and this is beautifully played. Or during the rather touching moments of John swimming in the ocean with his clothes on. What is more funny and cute than that, that shows love and simplicity and the joy of life?For the faint-hearted, this may bring some tears to your eyes, and for the rest, apart from the imbeciles that would actually not like this movie (not the ones that'd get bored, that I may understand) but who'd genuinely not like it, well, that is your problem, because a story has never been so nicely played out in its simplicity and with little words, in contrast to Iris' prolific writing.No reason to put stars for this movie, we are not in class anymore. Go see it! You will not be disappointed, and you will love it!