Don't listen to the negative reviews

As Good As It Gets

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Dakota Skye is a 17 year old Phoenix high school student, "medium cute", and has a superpower. She can see the truth of a lie like the caption to a foreign language film. Her boyfriend Kevin is nice but loves sex more than her. That's fine since she's apathetic after a life of seeing lies. Her father is dead and her mother is often absent. Her best friend Beth is desperate for her to study the SATs. Dakota simply doesn't care about the future until Kevin's old friend Jonah Moreno comes for a visit. He's an aspiring actor in New York and he doesn't seem to lie.It's a terrific idea. The concept is played out in a teen relationship, non-superhero way. One must keep in mind that this is a small budget indie. The young actors are fair. The lead character's passivity does leave some of the movie lacking energy. On the other hand, it is a touching and adds something original to the coming-of-age genre. I would have liked to see Dakota use her powers in some ways although I understand the idea that she is completely worn out.

Huge fan. I haven't read any reviews that mention the quality of the lighting and sound. They were all so well done that they put many a large-budget movie to shame. The sound quality in the live-band rock and roll scenes alone was spectacular. Also - the casting was really well done. In the DVD special features you hear the pains they took to get the casting right (auditioning 1000s). And it shows. There is not a false acting note in the entire movie.I have tiny quibbles with the turning point at the end of act 2 in the script, where the major setback gets verbalized in a Sex-in-The-City- like internal monologue that felt emotionally and intellectually off key for the main character. But its nothing that impacts the genuine affection I feel for this gem of a movie. Hollywood Producer Alert. If you are a production company trying to make really high quality movies at low budget, these guys are the real deal - proved commodities.

What a joke, shots were out of focus sometimes and I could swear I saw a boom somewhere in the shot. Poor acting, even worse script. Some of the worst directing I've ever seen. Very sophomoric. There was very little substance. Mostly fluff and childish lines. Very cliché as well.If you pay close attention, you'll notice how bad of a production this actually was. These guys are clueless!Was this supposed to be a comedy, because I couldn't stop laughing.This is pathetic What a joke, shots were out of focus sometimes and I could swear I saw a boom somewhere in the shot. Poor acting, even worse script. Some of the worst directing I've ever seen. Very sophomoric. There was very little substance. Mostly fluff and childish lines. Very cliché as well.If you pay close attention, you'll notice how bad of a production this actually was. These guys are clueless!Was this supposed to be a comedy, because I couldn't stop laughing.

I love when I see the trailer for a movie and expect so little from it and then get so much. It's the kind of movie that makes you glad you took the time out to see it but then at the same time wish you didn't so you can watch it for the first time again. Sentimental without being gushy-over-the-top-nonsense, well written and possibly even better acted. The dialog is crisp and funny but still natural and the actors pull it off with just the right amount of sarcasm when necessary and emotion when required. Its not going to win Oscars or end up on the AFI top 100, its not the best film ever shot, and it might not deserve a 10/10 compared to some of the classics, but it is a gem and if giving it a 10 in some tiny way makes other people watch it too then its a lie that even Dakota might approve of. Definitely one of my recommended movies to anyone I talk to.