First let me say I’m not a Jack Nicholson fan. Don’t know why, he just turns me off somehow. That said - this film is great.
I remember when I went to see it first, I was in two minds. You know like when a song comes on the radio that you like, till it turns out that iot’s by someone you hate.
Nicholson is made for this role. Great actor that he is, he usually strikes me a playing Jack Nicholson. You know someone who is a bit away from the norm, or who has a quirk, a dark side.
He plays a compulsive, obsessive in this film who gets attached to Helen Hunt - but doesn’t know how to relay his feelings like a normal person would. She just starts to feel sypathetic towrds him - and then he says or does something just so...outrageous that we’re back to square one.
It’s very much a people film, with the third person - very important to the film - is Greg Kinnear. He plays a neighbour of Nicholson’s who is openly homosexual, has a dog which Nicholson is forever throwing down the dust shute, as he hates dirty smelly things.
Eventually Kinnear gets beaten up, loses all his money and moves in with Nicholson.
You gradually get to warm to Nicholson’s character as he begins to display normal trais and emotiuons and finally gets the girl Ms Hunt.
Its a real emotional rollercoaster of a film, justifiably landed with oscar nominations. Even if, like me, your not a Nicholson fan - just see it