Your favorite from Jack Nicholson's last ten films, 1996-2007

[Amerigo Vespucci]

[Bryan]

1. The Departed was aces

Blood and Wine wasn't too bad, either. I can't say as I liked any of the comedies.

[JTG of the PRB]

2. Mars Attacks! Definitely Mars Attacks!

One of my favorite movies EVAR, and it has an outstanding ensemble cast!

[nytemare]

3. I chose About Schmidt, with Departed a close 2nd.

He did such an excellent job of playing just an average guy.

[begin_within]

4. Wow... compare that list to this list:

Easy Rider
Five Easy Pieces
Carnal Knowledge
The Last Detail
Chinatown
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Shining
Reds
Terms of Endearment
Prizzi's Honor
The Witches of Eastwick
Broadcast News
Ironweed
Batman
A Few Good Men
Hoffa

[Zavulon]

5. Departed by default, I haven't seen the others. (NT)

[Drunken Irishman]

7. See About Schmidt. It's a good movie.

[fishwax]

6. for his performance I'd pick About Schmidt. For overall movie I'd pick The Departed.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

8. About Schmidt was a little like "Sideways"...

...and not just because Alexander Payne directed and wrote the screenplay for both.

Both films, obviously, were about dysfunction...in "Sideways" it was a study of the ongoing bond between two former collage roomies, both highly dysfunctional, and their unique ability to touch and simultaneously screw up the lives of every person they encounter...including each other.

In Schmidt, a guy who retires, gets the dinner, gets his lifetime of work shoved into bankers boxes in a basement storage room, retires to a mobile home and a marriage that is simply a matter of going through the daily motions, the wife dies, he attends the wedding of his estranged daughter and some goober in Colorado, gets to meet the new "in laws," comes home, and breaks down in tears.

So yeah..."Departed" may be the best movie on the list of his films from the last decade, and his portrayal of Costello was cool, calm, ruthless, and consistent. Schmidt, I guess, is what they call a "dramedy"...not quite drama, not quite comedy...but there is a depth to the performance that isn't found on some of the other films on the list. And like "Sideways," people will get behind what Payne was trying to accomplish or not, because appreciation of the film requires getting into it, not just giving it a casual viewing.

:toast:

[Symarip]

9. As Good As It Gets

Granted, there's little Jack can touch that isn't gold. But his performance in this movie is tops. Just watch his facial expressions and how he reacts to the other stellar performances around him. Every move and every word is precise. In a lot of movies, Jack is kind of just 'Jack'. That isn't a dig because he does bring a certain oddness and charm to his roles. Anthony Hopkins is another guy I can think of who's similar in that regard. But in As Good As It Gets, Jack really had to step outside of the box to make this one come to life.

[JonLP24]

10. Had to go with The Pledge

Amazing performance IMO. Others you listed are great too.

[peekaloo]

11. If the time frame had been expanded to 1995

I would have jumped on 'The Crossing Guard'. My second favorite Nicholson/Huston film (Prizzi's Honor being numero uno).

So 'About Schmidt' it is. :-)

[arod_5450]

12. chinatown

[gratuitous]

13. Carol the Waitress, Simon the Fag

For some reason, I just howl every time that line comes up.