Who payed the critics

Beautiful, moving film.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.

Writer & Director James L Brooks has a very sure touch when it comes to movies. I'll do anything was conceived as an old fashioned musical and parody of actor's lifestyles and film clichés.Test audiences were not impressed with the film and at the time musical films were out of fashion. I presume the songs were actually rubbish which tends to be the case with a lot of musical films.Re-cut and re-edited, this is now a straight story with Nick Nolte, playing Matt Hobbs, a once promising actor who has not managed to get a regular acting gig in some time, ends up driving around an arrogant film producer (Albert Brooks).Things take a turn when his ex-wife dumps their daughter Jeannie on Matt for what he thinks is for a few weeks but turns out to be longer as she is off to jail. His daughter is used to getting her own way and he is not used to fatherhood.His career may have some brightness as he gets friendly with with attractive production assistant (Joely Richardson) who has a script idea and thinks Matt could be the lead actor.The film was hampered from the start with its production troubles. Nick Nolte does well as a down on his luck actor with a brat of daughter and trying to bond with her whilst dealing with machinations of the film industry.Where Brooks succeeded so well when he turned his eye on TV news with Broadcast News, the story here is not strong enough and although the actors try hard the film comes off as hollow.

Not usually a fan of Nick Nolte, I thought he was great in this.Even more, Julie Kavner was GREAT in this. She was so charming, so eye- catching, so ear-catching, she would have been considered the movie- stealer if little Whittni Wright hadn't been there.That child was absolutely astonishing. With no previous movie experience, she carried out her role as if she had done it a hundred times. I hope she changes her (still young) mind and returns to film.Albert Brooks is one of my entertainment heroes, and his role here is different for him -- and he too is great.There is a sweetness -- and I don't mean sugariness -- in this film that could make it worth watching even with a lesser cast, but with such a strong and lovable bunch, it is an almost perfect movie.

This is a movie about making movies and standing up for your beliefs and not having to bow down under the pressures of audience expectations and studio involvements, and it had musical numbers which were cut and writers come in to dumb it down because of audience expectations and studio involvements.But I found all that out after I first saw the movie and thought it was great entertainment. I love Nick Nolte, he's so grave and gruff and depressed that I hope he doesn't kill himself cause I really like everything he's done, even The Hulk, and especially Affliction and that Martin Short with a kid movie. Joely Richardson is gorgeous! Julie Kavner and James Brooks are great. I highly recommend this film, and hope to see it again soon on DVD with all of the deleted scenes.

This movie has really got the "Brooks Touch" and that's a very good thing. I can't understand why this has got such a low ratings on the IMDB, or why it is so little known. Like AS GOOD AS IT GETS and the even better, but overall largely underrated TERMS OF ENDEARMENT, this again is a wonderful story about real people. And when Brooks is in the director's seat, you know this film isn't going to take the easy way. I can only recommend this movie, especially because of the many lovely moments and the excellent dialogue. My only complaint is that some of the dialogue is a bit too smart for its own good and that it doesn't always ring true. The actors are very good too, especially Nick Nolte, Joely Richardson and the young Whittni Wright(who is wonderful). They're not the really big names, like in the two aforementioned movies, but they did a very good job. Also look out for the character played by Albert Brooks, which is very familiar with Jack Nicholson's character in AS GOOD AS IT GETS. It almost seems a trademark of James L. Brooks, who keeps delivering the goods with his original and always fresh romantic comedies. Don't miss this one! 8/10