Awesome Movie

As Good As It Gets

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

A retired ex-cop and private detective (Paul Newman) who lives with a rich actor (Gene Hackman) who is dying from cancer and his actress wife (Susan Sarandon) gets mixed up in murder when he is asked to deliver blackmail money.In retrospect, this film is notorious for having a young, topless Reese Witherspoon and a Liev Schreiber at the early point in his career. But ignore these things, because they do not matter (even if Witherspoon likes to pretend she forgot she was in this movie).Just check out this cast: Gene Hackman and Paul Newman. The rest are merely a bonus, because these are two of the greatest old white men in acting (at least at the time).

The cast is the first thing that struck me, prior to watching this best-of-the-B-movies almost-film-noir. They're stars, and they all deliver star performances. Hackman especially is, as always, amazing. Even James Garner does a good job.I don't think I'm spoiling anything to say that there are no big surprises, and only a very few little ones, in this movie. It's not quite a film noir, a little bit too much humor for that, but I think it's worth the trade-off. As a small bit of icing on the cake, it's interesting to see Liev Schreiber as a young punk, after seeing him as an older, much more dangerous Ray Donovan.All in all, nothing great beyond the cast, but a good entertainment.

Paul Newman, director Robert Benton, and scriptwriter Richard Russo gets reassembled for this L.A. detective drama together with an talented stars headed by Susan Sarandon,Gene Hackman,James Garner,Stockard Channing and Reese Witherspoon in this thriller/noir film,Twilight.The story focuses on aging private detective Harry Ross,an ex-cop, is working on a case to return 17-year-old Mel Ames to her home. He tracks down Mel and her sleazy boyfriend,Jeff Willis, at a motel.Two years go by. Ross is living in southern California in the guest quarters of Mel's wealthy parents, Jack and Catherine Ames. One day, Jack asks a favor of Harry—to deliver a package. It turns out to be the first development in a series of twists and turns in a 20- year-old case involving the disappearance of Catherine's ex-husband. A man named Ivar is murdered at the proposed meeting place where Harry was to bring the package. Harry is detained by police, including a close friend, Lt. Verna Hollander. At the police station, he runs into another old pal and colleague, now retired, Raymond Hope.Harry has a developing interest in Catherine and ends up in bed with her one night. He also is blackmailed by a parole officer called Mucho and by Mel's old boyfriend, Jeff, now an ex-con.A dying Jack Ames feels betrayed that Harry has had a fling with his wife. Harry, meanwhile, is forced to face the reality that his friends have been deceitful and manipulative of him.Raymond Hope tries to persuade Harry to get away from it all, but showdown ensues in Raymond's glass-walled hillside home.The movie has a great cast headed by Newman,Sarandon and Hackman.Unfortunately,the intelligent script isn't engaging enough to keep the viewer tuned in as the plot is lacking in energy and interest.The talent of the excellent cast is what made up for the movie and saved it from complete ruin.But nevertheless,the actors/actresses tried their best to make the most out of the screenplay and the final product turned out to be better than average.Overall,Twilight is a movie that has an excellent cast in a lifeless screenplay still deserves a 9 out of 10 rating.

Not the terrible 'Teen Vampire' nonsense but an excellently acted 'Noir' with Paul Newman as an over the hill retired ex-cop and former private eye who resides with a actor friend (Gene Hackman) who is dying from cancer and his seductive actress wife (Susan Sarandon) Newman is requested by Hackman to run an 'errand' unbeknown to him he becomes embroiled in murder. He stumbles into a mysterious 20 year old case which deals with the disappearance of Sarandon's former husband. 'Twilight' has an excellent cast, on top of having Hackman, Sarandon, theirs an appearance from James Garner, who also has shady dealings. Liev Schrieber and Reese Whitherspoon also appear the latter contributes a revealing nude scene at the beginning.