Something's Gotta Give

They say Nicholson is retiring from acting, so why not remind yourself of his genius today? An enjoyable romantic movie that comes across laid-back, calm and real. Diane Keaton literally shines, Jack plays a good second fiddle here. At the end I realized that I saw the end once before, without the beginning and the middle, hmh. (2013-09-06)

An American romantic comedy about how love matures in people at any age, no matter what the circumstances. The leading couple (Diane Keaton & Jack Nicholson) played really well and convincingly and there was real chemistry between them. Plus the music was amazing the whole movie. And if the running time was half an hour shorter, I wouldn't hesitate to give it 5*. But I still found it very entertaining - especially the "naked" scene and the "crying depression after a breakup". (2010-07-25)

A feel-good, heartwarming romantic comedy with the pleasant Diane Keaton and again a similar and equally incredibly funny satire by Jack Nicholson. On top of that, the beautiful Amanda Peet once again, an atypical role for Keanu Reeves, and all of this in a story that truly looks "like real life" in ways that so many others don't. Symbolically, the best scene for me is when the restaurant guests are amazedly looking at Harry and his young girlfriend while he just spreads enjoyable smiles all around. (2006-04-30)

God, how I hate the world of Nancy Meyers. The rich folk they meet on the way home from the farmers' market, hysterically solving their generic problems over the banquet table, sitting in cars and taxis for half the film, from which they move to fancy restaurants where they talk about how they want to be loved even though there's nothing to love about them because they're endlessly superficial and interchangeable. The emptiness of the characters here is perfected, framed by the excruciating overacting of virtually everyone, and it's downright painful to watch how the initial characterization of the characters doesn't work, for example, when you don't think for a second that the jaded and oily Jack Nicholson is a progressive hip-hop producer who cavorted with Amanda Peet. It's suffused with an utter weariness of values that tells us there's no point in trying to break out of your box, and stepping outside of expectations defined by age or status is an unnatural act of playing at something you're not. Total condemnation. Barf. (2018-04-24)

The film relies on the presence of two great names in American cinema. Granted, Nicholson can still exude charisma and Diane Keaton shows that one can age gracefully, without excessive plastic surgery, and still have spark and charm. The problem is they cannot carry the film on their own, and it needed a script prescribing quality dialogue and clever well-targeted humor. There are very few genuinely funny scenes, and they exhaust their potential quite quickly, at the latest halfway through the film. To top it all off, the film has the most banal happy ending in the spirit of classic Hollywood. Overall impression: 45%. (2014-02-20)