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Too much of everything

To me, this movie is perfection.

As Good As It Gets

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Director Peter Weir appears to have been 'Moonstruck' in his latest film, a fizzy romantic comedy about an inconvenient marriage of convenience between uptight, uptown Andie McDowell and rogue Frenchman Gerard Depardieu. When the INS comes knocking at McDowell's door the couple suddenly has just 48 hours to get acquainted and invent a mutual history; predictably, they fall in genuine love as well. It's an amusing, if somewhat one-sided courtship: Depardieu may be a slob, but he's a cultured, passionate slob, and because everyone except McDowell loves him on sight (and since there isn't any competition from her arrogant, politically correct, vegetarian boyfriend) it's only a matter of time before Depardieu charms her down from her ivory tower. Romantic comedy obviously isn't Weir's forte; he supposedly wrote the script with Depardieu in mind, but it's too bad the same can't be said for McDowell's underdeveloped character: an urban fairy tale princess waiting for the frog (no pun intended) to kiss her. The film nevertheless shows the same economy of style that highlights all of Weir's features, and it benefits from the winning presence of Depardieu, whose energy translates well into any language.

I may have tried this film and got bored in a few minutes, but I gave it another chance, from producer, writer and director Peter Weir (Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show). Basically Georges Faure (Golden Globe winning Gérard Depardieu, in his English debut) is the Frenchman who wants to keep a job in America by gaining his Green Card, and Brontë Parrish (Golden Globe nominated Andie MacDowell) is the American who wants to stay in her flat with its own greenhouse, which is actually for a married couple. They marry each other in order to get and keep what they want, and they have convince many people they are married for love, including immigration officers. So they move in with each other, even though they don't get on very well, and they are trying just a little too hard to keep their story straight with all the complications being presented. As time goes on though, they may actually be starting to like each other, like a real married couple, but in the end they are discovered, Georges is deported, and as Brontë realises her love for him, she promises to get to France to continue their marriage. Also starring Jumanji's Bebe Neuwirth as Lauren Adler, Gregg Edelman as Phil, Mrs. Doubtfire's Robert Prosky as Brontë's Lawyer, Jessie Keosian as Mrs. Bird, Ethan Phillips as Gorsky, Mary Louise Wilson as Mrs. Sheehan, Lois Smith as Brontë's Mother and Conrad McLaren as Brontë's Father. It is a pretty improbable story with not too much original comedy and a slightly odd romance development, but Depardieu and MacDowell are likable characters. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for Weir, it was nominated the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay, and it won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical. Worth watching!

How is it that only the French male can be attractive and ugly at the same time?Step forward Monsieur J-P Belmondo,M.Yves Montand,M.Charles Aznavour,M.Fernandel.....no.all right,he's just ugly,but the others have the certain something that appeals to women(and some blokes) all over the world.M.Gerard Depardieu is not only ugly he is distinctly chunky - quite fat actually, without wishing to legitimise sizeist stereotyping.However I am reliably informed that far from being a cheese-eating surrender monkey he is widely regarded as thinking-woman's crumpet. In "Green Card" he plays a French avant-garde composer living in New York. He wants to stay,the Immigration Service would rather he didn't. In order to ensure his "Right to Remain" status he engages in a marriage of convenience with slightly weird Miss Andie Mcdowell.In a splendid quid pro quo she needs to be married to get a roof garden(It's New York,go figure).Everybody's happy then?Well,not quite,that nasty I.N.S.are to conduct an enquiry into their marriage.Zut alors!What's a garcon to do? Prove to the I.N.S. that he and his femme are in love of course.Bien sur.Get ready to book your flight back to Paris,France,Monsieur. M.Depardieu is an elemental force of nature,Miss Mcdowell a little staid.What follows is a comedy of errors with high stakes for both of them. "Green Card" relies mainly on M.Depardieu's Gallic charm,Miss Mcdowell being,frankly,a little underwhelming,and he carries it off with no little panache.If I were she I would keep a close eye on him once he'd got his carte verte.

I'm normally not too much a fan of Gérard Depardieu, at least not when he plays a role in a movie that isn't French. But this time I was willing to make an exception and the main reason for that is because I was interested in the subject of fake marriages in order to be able to stay in the country permanently. It's a problem that is all too known known over here as well and I couldn't think of any other romantic movie that dared to use this subject. That's why I was curious about it.George Fauré is a French citizen who has been offered a job in the U.S.A., but before he can start working, he'll need a work permit. Since it's very difficult for him to get one, the easiest way is to marry an American woman. Brontë Parrish loves plants and has dedicated her entire life to them. Now she has found a wonderful flat with its own greenhouse, but there is one problem: the flat is for married couples only. The best solution for both is a marriage, but to convince the immigration officers that they are married for love and not out of convenience, they must move in with each other and try to cope with all the difficulties that this will bring...It wouldn't have been a romantic comedy / drama if there weren't the necessary complications between the two people, so in that perspective this certainly isn't an original movie. But there is one difference: normally this kind of movies never shows a marriage of convenience, as it is something that doesn't belong in the perfect image of love and happiness that this kind of movies wants to portray. Fact is that it is a 'daring' move - although only to a certain extend - that really works. I really didn't have any problem to believe that in reality Brontë and Georges would never marry because their worlds are too far apart. And I admit that I was still a bit surprised when seeing the end of the movie. Of course their ideas about each other change, this is still a romantic movie, but it was all done in a very decent way.Overall the acting in this movie is quite good. Despite the fact that I had my doubts about him before watching the movie I must admit that I even liked Depardieu, probably because he didn't have to conceal his awful French accent when speaking English. He more or less could be himself this time and that's good. Also nice was Andie MacDowell's performance and I loved Jessie Keosian as the noisy landlady. All in all this is an interesting romantic drama - I wouldn't really call it a comedy - that offers a good story and some nice acting. It's perhaps not the best in the genre, but it's certainly better than average. That's why I give this movie a 7/10.