As Good As It Gets

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

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

Alan Ayckbourn's play, 'Private Fears in Public Places', is one of his quieter comedies. Various people seek love and don't find it, for ordinary, mundane, sometimes embarrassing reasons: the plot, such as it is, is driven mostly by a rather ambiguous character whose motivations are never completely explained. But Ayckbourn has not been Britain's most successful playwright for nothing; and the dialogue sparkles, line after line displaying his knack for getting to the heart of the matter with economy, humour, and a feel for real life. At times, Alan Resnais' film, which features many short scenes but very few settings, seems to be trying a little too hard to pretend that this isn't just a filmed play, but without fundamentally changing the dramatic structure: he does, however, get excellent performances from his cast, and makes the work feel very naturally French. It's a pity that the BBC versions of Ayckbourn's work are mostly unavailable (and never, it seems, repeated); but Resnais rendering is still one to be enjoyed.

I think I read somewhere that Alain Resnais and Alan Ayckbourne are friends and Resnais does have an affinity with Ayckbourne's work, witness Smoking/No Smoking and now Coeurs. Several old hands turn up yet again, indeed if Resnais can be said to have a repertory company it would certainly include his long-time wife Sabine Azema, Pierre Arditi, Lambert Wilson and Andre Dussollier, all present and correct here along with first-timer Isabelle Carre with Laura Morante completing the sextet. Alas, none of the six are really happy, hardly even content; the bible-reading Azema possibly comes closest, smiling as she cleans up after unseen invalid Claude Rich - even cleaning HERSELF up when he throws food over her; Isabelle Carre is a little young to be the sister of Andre Dussollier but given her loveliness there's no real reason for her to pursue true love in the Lonelyhearts columns. All six actors shine and Resnais has opted to mark the scene changes with falling snowflakes symbolising a permanent lack of warmth in all six lives. Verdict: Hearts are trumps.

There are lots of reasons to love "Coeurs" . At first, I must say, I hadn't great expectations for this French adaptation of the British play "Private Fears in Public Places", by the acclaimed Alan Ackynbourn. I was wrong: actor- director- screenwriter Jean-Michel Ribes did a clever job with the script. The stories of the six characters intersect smoothly, there are a few big laughs, but the general mood of the film is bitter-sweet and pensive. The ending is in a way very pessimistic: the very true-to-life message is love is a dream, and soon or later everybody has to wake up. The film shows remarkable acting. Italian Laura Morante was awarded with the Pasinetti award in Venice, but the rest of the cast is very strong as well. Honorable mentions go to Pierre Arditi's sensitive performance, and, with lighter tones, to André Dussollier's. Alain Resnais' direction, winner of the Silver Lion at the latest Venice film festival, left in the film a distinct theatrical feeling. The repeated image of the snowfall, used between one scene and another, is appropriate and poetic. Over all a good film - recommended. 8/10 in my book.

I do not regret to have rushed to see this movie without proper documentation, because I spent 119 minutes of pure joy, spoiled by an inexplainable ending (solved since).It is of course a testament, but I am only five years younger than Alain Resnais and I prefer to spend them without too much questions asked, about death mostly. It is of course a transcription of an English stage-play, but AR did not choose it blindly, he must be on the same wave length (or shortcut) with Alan Ayckburn. Perfect script, perfect direction, perfect players, making my disappointment even bigger. Besides, the religious devotion of Sabine Azema is far from obvious, and Isabelle Carré looks more like André Dussolier's daughter than sister. The assistance laughed a lot, like I did, and came out smiling, (not me). However, and definitely, the best movie of the year, closely followed by PRADA. harry carasso, Paris