So much average

As Good As It Gets

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

I've long been a follower of Steve Buscemi - as actor, writer and director. Trees Lounge, in which he performed all three roles, is one of my all-time favourite films. Whenever I see his name attached to a film in any way (the dire Armageddon aside) it's enough to make me think it'll be worth the money. He certainly doesn't disappoint here. There's a quiet beauty to this film, which is all to do with the keenly observant writing, the sensitive direction and the wonderfully subtle and understated performances by the cast. Liv Tyler shows she's more than just a pretty face - but Casey Affleck steals it. He's such an under-rated actor - far superior, in my opinion, to his more celebrated brother. Afficionados of more mainstream Hollywood fodder might not find much to latch onto here - but that's also part of the beauty of it. What seems like superficial characterisation is, in fact, an object lesson in subtlety and depth. I had a smile on my face for most of this. A rare gem of a movie indeed. 10 out of 10.

I only was interested in this film because it was directed by Steve Buscemi. I am a dyed-in-the-wool fan of Steve and will cheerfully watch anything with him in it.So, being a good actor doesn't necessarily make one a good director, but I thought Trees Lounge was pretty good, even though it was hard for me to really enjoy because I don't drink, and the movie was all about drinking.The next one I saw was Animal Factory, which I found to be bland, conventional and unrealistic, lacking the grit of real prison life. But this was the fault of the screenplay, not the direction, so I don't blame Steve for that.The same applies to Lonesome Jim. Here the fault is in the writing and the casting. While Casey Affleck is light-years ahead of brother Ben in acting ability, he's still pretty wooden and one-dimensional. Liv Tyler looks nice, but should do something else for a living. Mary Kay Place is a stereotype sitcom Mom.The plot may have been alright if it had culminated in some sensible denouement, but it didn't. That's not Steve's fault. He did a good job with the dismal story he had to work with.I guess the problem with both this one and Animal Factory is that they are both way too boring and conventional to be accepted as good independent cinema. We supporters of the Indies are always expecting them to push the envelope and deliver what Hollywood is incapable of. No envelope-pushing here, it's treading very safe ground.

I just picked this off the shelf for the hell of it. Throughout the whole movie I was expecting Jim to say more. Maybe that's his appeal to some viewers, but the kid just needed to spit it (his feelings) out more. Come to think of it, the movie lacked dialogue! His character reminded me much of his character in The Last Kiss. I haven't seen many films with Casey Affleck, but I'd draw parallels to Owen Wilson in that his characters are all very similar, typecast so to speak. Casey Affleck is the melancholy quiet kid who lives in his own head. As I expected more from this film I rated it a 5. The case description is also misleading, he doesn't so much 'stumble into a romance' with Liv Tyler's character as they're getting it on in a hospital bed within hours of their meeting each other. I was expecting something more emotional of their relationship and it was HARDLY that.

Although I agree with many of the people that this was a good movie, I do not necessarily agree that it had a moral, taught a lesson, etc. The script, as economical as it was, was terrific, not to mention hilarious! There is hardly a wasted line, scene, etc. Nobody overacts. The actors simply just do their jobs. Some of the jokes had me laughing out loud at midnight; e.g., when brother #1 says "awesome" upon learning brother #2 has bedded Liv Tyler, #2 thanks him - to which #1 says "No, I'm thinking her standards are so low I've still got a chance".The movie is chock full of tiny lines of great dialog. Most are not crafted jokes but simply hilarious circumstantially, as when the protagonist comments on the strength of the stoner's weed and - in a casual aside - the stoner says, "Yeah, I put some crack in". Also, our hero so deftly manages to unintentionally insult everyone and everything while spilling his guts; e.g., believing he's offering profound insight into life but instead degrading the existence of his listeners. These asides and conversations, like much of the dialogue, are not stand alone funny but fit in so well to the mood and of the setting. The setting and circumstances - failed dreams in the Heartland - could be milked for much melodramatic value but is well treated here in a matter-of-fact manner. This movie is true farce. I hate to use clichés but Lonesome Jim is the perfect example of "What you see (and hear) is exactly what you get.Casey Aflleck could easily have played his role as manic or overly deadpan but finds a great balance. Overlooked is his dad's character, who pulls pathos out of middle America. Liv Tyler displays more skill here than in all her minutes in Lord of the Rings combined. And the stoner uncle, without exaggeration could be a candidate for Best supporting actor. But Mary Kay Place steals the show outright. She is the Everymom of all time. I lost my mom last year and my siblings and I can see now that what we interpreted as mom's naive cheerfulness was actually a profound strength. No small feat to create this observation in a movie which, at times, seems almost completely played for laughs. In fact, the uplifting effect of the movie truly appears as almost an afterthought. Creating something out of nothing is the mark of good art.