Just perfect...

As Good As It Gets

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

First off, let me say I love this film. It might seem odd for a normal man of 30, when this film came out. But then, I like musicals, as well.From reading the comments here and elsewhere, people seemed nonplussed as to how to categorized this film. What clued me in was the confusion it caused everybody.This movie really is a mystery.But the mystery isn't in the plot. It doesn't keep you guessing. Or the characters; they're played pretty straightforward. It's the genre. Every time you get comfortable with how it's being played, Rudolph switches it up.Is it a film noir? Is it a comedy? Is it a love story? Uh, yes.But that's the beauty of this film.It keeps you guessing as to what it is.And Rudolph would have been having a laugh for the past quarter century if more people could see this film for the brilliance it is.Actually, if more people had seen it.But now, he's waited so long for people to get it, that well . . .

Enjoyable movie.It is a tongue in cheek detective story.Berenger uses a phony, gravelly voice and is a mess as a detective: He trails the wrong man for the entire movie.When he stands up at the nightclub he hits his head on the lamp hanging over the table--twice.He does ridiculous things in his supposed detective work, one after another.This is a good natured film and an obvious spoof.The funny things is--it works.It is entertaining and funny in its silliness.I have seen many far worse movies.I would not have known that Berenger had this level of talent for comedy.

If you're a fan of film noir, you should like this 1990 takeoff of those 1940s films with Anne Archer as an exaggerated femme-fatale in distress and private detective Tom Berenger paid to spy on her husband.It turns out to be a comedy, however, as Berenger tails the wrong guy but finds things interesting as they are. Then Berenger's girlfriend gets nervous and hires a female detective (Elizabeth Perkins) to spy on him, so everyone is watching everyone!Although there isn't a lot of action, the film never drags and is a good combination of suspense, humor and drama/action. Also nice is the soundtrack, a "Midnight Run" sound with good blues guitar and trumpet plus a Leonard Cohen song to start the film. Good colors add to everything.On the negative side, I didn't care for the ending regarding Archer, nor understand why she did what she did. Also, everyone in the film is a bit too sleazy. The other fault likes not in the movie but in the DVD which had a very weak transfer. Overall, fun for a couple of looks.

I saw this film referred to as a comedy, but I hadn't remembered it as such when I first saw it some years ago. I suppose that it is, but it is funny in a wry sort of way, never a laugh out loud way. I don't know where Tom Berenger got that gravelly voice for this movie, but it seems to fit the part okay. Elizabeth Perkins was lovely and good as an angst-filled gal trying to be a private I. It was interesting to see Neil Young in a small acting role. He did OK. It makes me wonder how hard acting really is. Anne Archer was so totally gorgeous, I almost didn't realize how ridiculous her character was. This ended up being a pretty enjoyable film, if you don't go into it with unrealistic expectations. Grade: B