For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

As Good As It Gets

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

a nice film. in a surprising manner. because it has the subtle and wise science to be more than part of a specific genre. because it propose a seductive, colorful and charming - in its dramatic significance - story.because the cultural clash has adorable nuances. because it is a story about love and traditions and influences and the good son in middle of huge crisis. and because one of the seductive characters is ... the spirit of Cary Grant made by a surprising actor. so, a good choice for the viewer looking for a seductive film. and the real gift remains the end. so, see it !

Ian Iqbal Rashid is a sensitive director who is bringing the two poles of Indian Bollywood and Indie 'Hollywood' closer together. In TOUCH OF PINK he has taken the best of both and created a tender, charming, warmly funny tale of the struggle of a Pakistani young cameraman Alim (Jimi Mistry) in coming to grips with his sexuality. Yes, the story has been done many times, but rarely with the genuine tenderness Rashid has found.Alim, a transplanted Pakistani youth born in Kenya, raised in Toronto, Canada and living in London, has a guardian angel in the form of Cary Grant (Kyle MacLachlan) who has replaced his father he never knew and who is his constant companion in his flat in London - giving advice Alim wants to hear while acting as a curtain to shield Alim from the more difficult facts of his being an openly gay male. Alim is in love with Giles (Kristen Holden-Ried) and they live a happy life together - until Alim's mother Nuru (Suleka Mathew) comes to pay them a visit.Nuru has lived alone since her husband's death, always longing for a fantasy life of fleeing the restrictions of Indian culture to become a star like Doris Day. Her life is one of frustration and her hopes for something better seem to rest on her only son Alim's getting married so that Nuru can compete with her sister currently planning an extravagant wedding for her own son Khaled.Once in London, Nuru finds Alim cold, living with a British man, and finds her hopes for a possible wedding quashed. Giles takes the reluctant Nuru for a shopping and dancing day and wins her heart. But when Nuru finally discovers Alim's secret, she leaves London, hurt, sad, and despondent. Giles is angry with Alim's harsh handling of their relationship and leaves Alim to the sole companionship of his Cary Grant. Through a series of discoveries and introspection Alim flies to Toronto to the wedding of his cousin, to appease Nuru, and there Pandora's Box opens resulting is a series of surprises that bring the actions to resolution. Though many will have seen the end coming, for those who have not seen the movie, telling the plot ending would be a sad disservice! The dialogue is smart, the use of the Cary Grant guardian angel is excellent (especially given the fine performance by Kyle MacLachlan), and the characters as portrayed by this talented and attractive cast are indeed lovable. This is a feel-good movie, a fine statement about being true to one's self, and a healthy look at gay relationships that are not either 1) candy coated or 2) sadistic or doomed. Highly recommended. Grady Harp

Within the glut of "coming out comedies" I've purchased in the past few years, I've noticed that they all seem to have similar plot devices. They usually present a young gay couple, consisting of one partner who is out and comfortable with his family, job and friends and a partner who is not out to any of these people. Almost always, the happy couple is suddenly confronted by the visit of a parent or other relative (usually from another country or culture) from whom they must conceal the truth of their relationship, or come out once and for all. Many of these films mean well, but frequently (especially when other cultures are involved) the movie is trite, offensive or dated. I was prepared for Touch of Pink to be all of these things, and half-wondered to myself as I purchased it why I bothered. I was in for a pleasant surprise. The characters were real, engaging and likable. The two actors who played the couple were not drop-dead gorgeous hunks, just pleasant looking enough to have the average gay viewer identify with them. The gimmick of having Cary Grant as the imaginary friend of the main character worked better than I expected it to. All too often imitations of celebrities come off as just that – imitations, and pale ones to boot. Kyle MacLachlan has Cary Grant's vocal mannerisms down pat, without being overly exaggerated or silly. Alim's mother is pretty, bitchy and quite a lot of fun, and her character has most of the really funny lines in the picture, which are many. And I was also impressed not only by the production values and acting, which were first rate, but by the first class treatment given to the DVD release. All too often, DVD's of films with gay subject matter come at very high prices with no extras whatsoever. This disc offered subtitles in several languages (including English for the hearing impaired) a trailer and a short documentary on the making of the film. These are extras that people who purchase mainstream films take for granted, and I am always delighted when they're included in a gay title. All in all this film was quite enjoyable.

This is a feel good movie from beginning till end, with fun and likable characters. Just an unpretentious film that doesn't take it self too serious. Kyle MacLachlan is a bit much as Cary Grant's ghost, sounding more like Tony Curtis in Some Like It Hot than good old Cary. Funny though, considering Tony Curtis based his accent in Some Like It Hot on no one else than ... Cary Grant!!!! What's really interesting is that most actors in this film had to act with an accent different than their own. Jimi Mistry is a well known actor in the UK and had to switch from a British accent to a Canadian, while the actor playing his boyfriend, Kristen Holden-Ried, is Canadian, playing ... a British guy! It was also very cool to see Linda Thorson, my favorite Avengers-girl, as the Giles' mother.