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Something's Gotta Give

Something's Gotta Give

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Jack and Diane At Their Best
Review: This movie is pure artistry, and simply fun from the first credits to the very end.

Neither Jack Nicholson nor Diane Keaton, aging gracefully as actors, have seen fit to have "something done" to improve their graciously handsome looks, and the pleasure of seeing two fine actors obviously enjoying themselves to the hilt without needing to pretend they are 30 years old is a rare and wonderful pleasure.

Jack plays a 63-year-old "player," a wealthy record producer who makes it a rule never to date a woman over 30. Diane is the mother of his current sweetie, and she is nobody to tangle with, being successful and wealthy herself, a divorcee who has written hit plays for years. Jack comes to spend a frisky weekend with the daughter, but mama just happens to waltz in the door at the wrong time... done to death, but perfect, perfect, perfect!!

Keanu Reeves provides a real surprise as the 30-something doctor who rescues Jack from his heart attack and gets a roaring crush on Diane. It's so nice to see a women of a certain age portrayed as desirable enough to attract an intelligent younger man!! Reeves is sweet and charming as the doctor.

I often get bored or impatient with the extras on DVDs--the commentary that takes away from the fantasy of the film itself, so I skipped around a bit. Loved Jack, loved Diane, but would have loved the movie without either of their "extras." That's just me, though--this DVD is a keeper, and I plan to do just that.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good first half, blah second half
Review: I liked the portion of the film when they were in the Hamptons. There were some very good scenes between Nicholson and Keaton, especially the one where they were walking on the beach. They lost me after they headed for the city though. There were too many strained coincidences, the Keaton character lost her edge and the ending was too far out, even for this genre. I also didn't care much for the DVD video quality, which I thought should have been better for a new movie. Still, there were enough good moments in the first hour to barely recommend it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Funny, and sophisticated - all a romantic comedy should be
Review: I admit that "Something's Gotta Give" [not a great title!] was not on my must-see list. Now, having seem it, it is my must own DVD list. While its stars, Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson, are two of my all-time favorites, most recent romantic comedies have not been original, funny or, for that matter, particularly romantic. While the only thing in the least original about the movie is the fact that the leads are practically senior citizens, it is outrageously funny and extraordinarily romantic.

Harry [Nicholson] is a dedicated playboy who always dates young women. The sad thing is that he is now 63, perilously close to being old enough to be some of his girlfriends' grandfather. One summer day his latest flame, Marin [Amanda Peet], takes him on a weekend outing to her mother's beach house in The Hamptons. The couple is surprised to find that Erica [Keaton], the mom, is also visiting. Erica is a famous playwright. She writes romantic comedies, but, being 57 and divorced, she long ago gave up on falling in love again herself. Suddenly, Harry has a heart attack. The attending physician, Dr. Meyer [Keanu Reeves], suggests that Harry stay at Erica's house for awhile until he is strong enough to go back to New York. It turns out that Meyer has a thing for older women, and he begins to pursue Erica. Meanwhile, Harry's brush with death is causing him to rethink his life [maybe older ain't so bad], while Meyer is forcing Erica to rethink hers [maybe younger is the answer]. The ultimate solution to this love triangle is predictable, but the getting there is great fun.

Director/writer Nancy Meyers, herself 54, has written a mature, witty, sophisticated screenplay, but I think she herself knows that it is the magnetism of Keaton and Nicholson that makes the movie such a great success. [Interesting note: In real life the two once were lovers] The supporting cast is excellent and includes Amanda Peet Jon Favreau and Frances McDormand.]

If there is a problem with the movie, it is that it may be somewhat too sophisticated for today's mainstream audiences and critics. It has a very French feel to it, which is perhaps why the ending takes place in Paris.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: What's all the fuss about?
Review: Long, meandering, and at times downright boring, I just can 't see why this movie was so hyped. Yes, Diane Keaton does look great for her age, or any age, but Jack Nicholson has gotten fat and I found myself grossed out during the scene when they first went to bed. I didn't see the chemistry. And her with Keanu Reeves, I dont' know, it was a stretch. I was also disappointed to see a strong female character like that reduced to a blubbering, bawling idiot after knowing the Jack Nicholson character for only one week (and not even liking him for much of it). This movie had a few cute moments but I wouldn't rank it among the stellar romantic comedies.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Nicholson and Keaton performances!
Review: Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson are superb in this movie. While the plot is a bit old, their acting makes the movie worth watching. Great comedy!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Turtlenecks And Sea Shells
Review: The storyline for this refreshingly delightful and enjoyable film is quite a nice change of pace. People of a certain age falling in love with someone of or around the right age. The older guy/younger woman thing is turned on it's ear in this film, which was written by Nancy Meyers, she who previously gave us, with her ex-husband Charles, "What Women Want", "Baby Boom", and both of the "Father Of Th Bride" films. Jack Nicholson stars as Harry Sanborn, a 63 year old a socialite who owns ten companies and the second biggest hip hop label. He is famous for being a bachelor, a man who seems to not date women over 30. His latest conquest is Marin, played by Amanda Peet. The two plan on a weekend getaway at her mom's beach house in the Hamptons. Lo and behold, mom, Erica, comes home and everything turns topsy turvy when Harry suffers a heart attack and ends up stayig with Erica while he gets better. What happens is a man coming to realize that he can love, and be attracted to, an older woman. Diane Keaton, who is radiant in this film, is just a treasure. At 57, although it is never made clear of her character's age, since it is only mentioned that she is over 50, she is who she is and is happy with it. She is so wonderful in this film, and she lights up every moment she is in. Thankfully, she is in almost every frame. She has also never looked better. I am young, and I can see where someone younger like Keanu's character(who is a lot older than me)would fall for someone older like Keaton. She gives out such an adorable charm and strong personality, that it would be easy to see why she would be the target of two men. Complicating matters is Keanu Reeves, who plays Harry's young doctor who has designs on Ms. Keaton himself. Amanda Peet, and Frances McDormand, who plays Keaton's sister, do well, but they(especially McDormand)fall out of the loop not long into the film. Nicholson is Nicholson. He is a master and he does what he does with the charm and finesse we would expect. Our two leads are what make this film work. It is solidly written with an intelligent hand and our two stars make it rise to another level that it would never of achieved if it were into someone elses' hands. The dialogue is sharp and the banter between the two is top of the line. The movie does get a little overdone once it starts to reach the 2 hour mark. It is a tad long and could of easily of wrapped up sooner than it did. Still, it does not mar what it is a warm and hilarious and romantic film. The movie is beautifully shot. It has a very warm, serene like look and feel to it. Some of the plot turns and outcomes can be expected and seen long before it happens, but it doesn't diminish the effect or the outcome at all. It is a movie that shows that age means nothing when it comes to love and it can come and surprise you when you least expect it. Snd sometimes, that's when it's the best.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Almost a Classic
Review: This movie is quite good, with decent acting by Keanu Reeves, splendid acting by Diane Keaton, and Jack Nicholson plays his typical 'Jack' character.(see As Good as it Gets, Easy Rider...)
This movie gives quite a lot to the viewing audience, it can make you sad, frustrated and happy all within about 90 minutes.
The story is of a young-girl chasing old guy,(hmm, where have I heard that before, oh, yeah-Jack Nicholson's real life!) who is going home for a weekend with his flavor of the month, girl of the moment. While there, he encounters Diane Keaton, the young girl's mother, who is quite convinced that Jack is much to old and rude to be a good lover for her daughter.
When Jack's charachter is about to go "on the job" he suddenly has a heart attack sending him to the hospital, and forcing him to live, alone, with Diane Keaton. whew.
The real thrill of the story is the chemistry between Jack and Diane, they are really a treat on screen. Jack magically turns into a lovable character, but you end up feeling sorry for all of the movie's characters in the end.
Don't be fooled into thinking this is your average romantic comedy, for you will be sorely mistaken, (...) just rent or buy it and have a good time laughing or doing whatever you do when you watch a movie.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Who would not fall in love with Diane Keaton in this film?
Review: "Something's Gotta Give" is far and away Diane Keaton's best performance and I think that the fact she already had a Best Actress Oscar is probably just as much a factor in why she did not win for this role as the fact that the majority of Academy voters are now probably closer to Charlize Theron in age. Just the idea that anybody could consistently upstage Jack Nicholson in scene after scene is very impressive and that is without tossing in the rather superfluous but celebrated nude scene (I mean, the scene is funny just thinking that Keaton's character is naked without having to actually see her nude).

Nicholson is Harry Sanborn, a notorious womanizer who tastes run exclusively to young woman. This week that means Marin Barry (Amanda Peet) and so they head off to her family home in the Hamptons. But before anything can happen her mother, Erica (Keaton), a famous playwright, and Aunt Zoe (Frances McDormand), a Woman Studies college professor, show up. The initial awkwardness over the situation just moves to different levels of uneasiness as the four try to co-exist in the same house for the weekend. Harry gets dissected by the two older women but at least gets to look forward to spending some romantic moments with Marin. Then he has a heart attack and everything changes for not only Harry but also everybody else.

The point is to have Harry stay at Erica's house while he recuperates so that the two of them can be alone. Harry's heart attack has him looking at the world and his life with different eyes, and for the first time in a long time he finds himself drawn to a woman his own age. She deserves such attention, but Harry is not alone in his growing affection. Julian Mercer (Keanu Reeves), the doctor who treats Harry, is immediately smitten by Erica. He has seen all of her plays, thinks she is brilliant, and has no interest in doing the math on the difference between their ages. Erica has gone from being alone for five years to suddenly having two men vying for her attention.

One aspect of writer-director Nancy Meyers' script that I especially liked is that the supporting cast really stays out of the way of the two protagonists. If anything, they make a point of staying out of the way, and none of the trite obstacles that such characters tend to throw in the way of the two potential lovers show up in this 2003 film. When Marin gets an idea that maybe her mom and Harry are making a connection, she rushes off to break up with him. You keep thinking Zoe is going to have something to say about all of this, but her efforts are almost exclusively non-verbal. Harry and young Dr. Mercer never explicitly acknowledge that they are going after the same woman; the best we get are looks that speak to deeper thoughts. Myers also avoids overplaying the idea that Erica is a playwright, although in the end the play she is writing plays a key role in the last stage of the film.

My only major complaint with "Something's Gotta Give" is how Meyers plays out the end game. I really was expecting something a lot better to connect the final set of dots in this plot line. The movie also runs over 2 hours in length and was starting to drag on in a way that tried to persuade me that maybe it was not what I thought it was going to be about and was heading towards a different ending. Even the idea that the others were staying out of the way of Harry and Erica ends up going too far at the end of the movie as the film pretty much jumps ahead to the ending all of a sudden.

Nicholson is ostensibly playing himself, but that does not mean the performance is devoid of any sort of nuance or depth. If we are getting glimpses of the "real" Nicholson, that is certainly worth enjoying. McDormand is underutilized, which is usually the case when she appears in a movie, but here character is the most interesting of the bunch and you would think there are some choice moments for her on the cutting room floor but the DVD is without deleted scenes. Reeves seem relieved to be free from the burden of being the One while Peet represents the sweet bird of youth. But it is Keaton who provides the most memorable sequences, the best of which has to be the aria of crying she delivers as she writes her new play. Sometimes milking something for everything it is worth is a good thing. It will be interesting to see where Keaton goes from here, because it is going to be impossible for her to top this one.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Great Movie and an even better dvd
Review: I first saw this movie in the theaters in the late fall. I loved it then and I love it even more now.

The plot focuses on Harry (Jack Nicholson), a very cool sixty-something New York bachelor, who serially dates women between the ages of 25 and 30. He does not apologize for his behavior; he simply is this type of person. Or so he thinks.

The movie opens with Harry traveling to the Hamptons with yet another piece of eye candy, Marin (Amanda Peet), for a fun, no-strings-attached weekend at her mother's house. The assumption was her mother was staying in the city. But no, before Harry and Marin can consummate their relationship, they stumble upon her mother, the famed playwright Erica Barry (Diane Keaton), and her sister (Frances McDormand). Awkwardness ensues...and even more awkwardness when Harry has a heart attack and Erica is left taking care of him after everyone departs for the city. To complicate matters further, Harry's young stud of a doctor (Keanu Reeves), has fallen for Erica. And so Erica ends up in a romantic triangle with Harry and the doctor.

Many wonderful small moments occur in this movie. The supporting characters--Amanda Peet, Frances McDormand, and surprisingly Keanu Reeves--are outstanding. Nancy Meyers, the screenwriter and director, makes sure that everyone realizes that despite their glossy coats, these characters have depth. Harry was at one time engaged to Diane Swayer; Amanda Peet's character is an auctioneer at Christie's; Keanu Reeves is not just a boy toy but a doctor.

The lead performance by Keaton and Nicholson are memorable. Diane Keaton shows you humor, intelligence and pain all at the same time. Nicholson allows this character to have depth and to grow beyond his shallow beginnings.

The DVD extras are well worth the price. Usually I understand after a viewing, why a deleted scene was cut. However this dvd includes a deleted scene with Nicholson singing "La Vie Rose" at a karaoke bar. He would have been nominated for an Oscar if it had been kept on. Likewise, the two tracks are treasures. On the first track, the director Nancy Meyers (with a little help from Keaton) explores the premise of the movie and the various difficulties during shooting. On the second track, Meyers and Nicholson examine his various acting choices throughout the film. You realize how hard he works and that he's not just being Jack.

I would recommend this movie to fans of romantic comedy and of Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson. I would recommend the dvd in particular to individuals who want to learn more about the choices in filmmaking--and of course to lovers of romantic comedy everywhere.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good performances but....is it over yet ?
Review: Something's Gotta Give starts out with energy and charm. Nicholson and Keaton have great chemestry as two older people trying figure out, what now ? They're two successful and experienced people but neither of them really know what love is. They aren't crazy about each other at first but of course they fall in love. After they have ... though and fall in love, it should've just ended. Instead it goes on and on with Keaton wanting a relationship and Nicholson not knowing what he wants. By the time he figures out what he wants, most of the movie's charm is gone and it over-stayed it's welcome. The performances make you stick with it though even if you just want it to end already. Although the supporting work by Keanu Reeves, Frances Mcdormand and Amanda Peet are all good. Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson carry this movie mostly on their own and do really good jobs at that. Cut off about 45 minutes and it would've been better though.


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