Waste of time

As Good As It Gets

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

I was in the mood for a lighthearted romantic comedy and this movie did not fail. It is cute and fun to watch. I've always loved Sara Rue. She is such a natural actress and I find that she chooses her roles well. Barry Watson's character is charming and entertaining. I actually kept the movie on my Netflix queue because I feel certain I will watch it again. It can feel slightly cheesy at times but it's not excessive or overdone to the point where I feel it ruins the movie. This would make a great movie for a "girls night", just as long as you aren't expecting anything deep or a true romance movie. Worth the watch. 7 out of 10 stars.

Perhaps it is telling of our network TV business that this made-for-TV movie is 75 minutes long and likely made to show over a 2-hour time slot. That leaves 45 minutes for commercials!It has an interesting premise, far into the future when the Pacific Ocean is now dry land (I don't really believe it could happen that fast, anyway...) some explorers cut a hole into the hull of a long-sunken ship, and in a sealed compartment on the floor find a paperback novel "Forbidden Love" and a stash of money, a stack of USA $100 bills. The book was published in 2011, and a bit worn, and the bills were a 2012 printing. Those facts will eventually be very important.Sara Rue is Elizabeth Barrett, the author of that book, and who also works for a magazine in New Orleans as a feature writer in 2011. (A word of disappointment, none of the scenes in New Orleans looked like New Orleans. The river was not the Missisippi. The streetcars were not on St Charles Avenue. That is because the movie was NOT filmed in New Orleans! It was filmed in Georgia.) Barry Watson (who looks amazingly like a slightly younger Tim Olyphant) is an explorer, PAX, in the year 3127, when he finds the book and pages through it he sees words he doesn't recognize, words like 'love' and 'sex'. The older scientist, old reliable Fred Willard as Bob tells him those are banished words, they are a type of virus that can cause trouble. So PAX decides the only way to find out is time-travel to 2011 and meet the author, and ask her those questions.The story is clever on a number of levels. The "Forbidden Romance" of the book's title becomes the forbidden romance of Elizabeth and PAX, because she is engaged. Of course for the wrong reason, a year earlier he had kept her hat, actually her mother's old hat, from blowing into the river, so she figured 'fate' had brought them together.When PAX shows up looking for Elizabeth, and claiming he is from 3127, everyone thinks he is deranged so she is asked to write a series on him. First off, how did he possess an obviously well-worn copy of the book when it was just being released that day, as Elizabeth was giving brand-new copies to her co-workers? Then, when he pays for things how is it he has 2012 money, signed by the Secretary of Treasury that was about to be first announced the next day?Make no mistake this is just a lightweight rom-com, but I saw it on Netflix streaming movies and it is an entertaining 75 minutes. Although I remain disappointed that it wasn't filmed in New Orleans.SPOILERS: After several misadventures, and Elizabeth now being unsure she really loves her fiancée', PAX and Bob end up back in 3127. But PAX has a bright idea, he will go back to the day and time in 2010 that the wind blew Elizabeth's hat off, and retrieve it right before the other guy gets to it, that way he will become her love interest. That is where the movie ends, as she is asking him to go to the restaurant for a cup of coffee and talk.

I like Rom Coms and I LOVE Time Travel movies.That said I've never found a good way to have them together (I don't think the romance factor in some Doctor Who stories can be counted as such).This movie is not as good as the other reviews say. It's an OK movie. Entertaining enough.But what I can say is that I liked it MUCH more that Kate & Leopold (the other movie I know of with that combo).It's also true what other reviewer says, I don't love the ending.But all in all, it's a good and not too long (75 minutes is a good amount for it).

This is a very appealing and nicely judged movie with a likable story, likable characters, and likable actors. It has something of that innocence that Mork and Mindy had (without too much of the zany) and all in all it is deeply romantic and charming. It reminded this reviewer of a one-off production from the BBC from Mike Leigh in 1980 called The Flipside of Dominick Hide, that even now gets 8.2 on IMDb. That too is not high production film, but rather simple and romantic, combined with strong story-telling. This won't be to everyone's taste as it emphasizes innocence but for this reviewer it has some of that elusive magic that no about of production or money can bottle.An anthropologist from the 32nd century travels backs a thousand years to seek out the author of a romantic novel that he discovers. As love is a word unknown to his society he is intrigued. He arrives in New Orleans and the fun begins. What follows is a nice tale of discovery and romance. Of course, we get the fun of a future traveller perplexed by our world etc;All in all this goes to show that conviction, a good plot, and good acting doesn't need a huge budget or masses of effect: a simple tale, simply told, and it is both heart-warming and charming.