Review

With one of his richest characterizations in years, Nicholson soars as a misanthropic, obsessive-compulsive writer who despite himself finds romance and friendship. Melvin (Nicholson) is the neighbor from hell to all the tenants of his New York apartment building. His compulsive personality is so off-putting that there's only one waitress at his favorite restaurant who will wait on him. That's Carol (Hunt), who's looking after her sick son. When Melvin's neighbor Simon (Kinnear), a gay artist, is seriously injured in a robbery, Melvin's life is turned around when he agrees to watch Simon's dog. Brooks and Mark Andrus' story doesn't really go very far plot wise, but it is their funny, intuitive dialogue which causes sparks, and the cast is absolutely wonderful in bringing these characters to life. Hunt gives such a full-fledged star performance that even her Emmy Award-winning TV work doesn't prepare one for her comic precision and dramatic depth. As Simon, Kinnear's gay act is suspicious at first, but he really creates a caring, funny, three-dimensional character. An extremely well-acted, sweetly endearing and offbeat romantic comedy which won Oscars for both Jack and Helen.