Something's Gotta Give DVD Review:

Harry Sanborn (Nicholson) is the biggest lothario in New York City. Even though he is sixty-three, he is known by his reputation of never sleeping with a girl over the age of thirty. When his current twenty something girlfriend Marin (Peet) invites him to her beach house in the Hampton’s things are going very well until her mother Erica (Keaton) turns up with her sister Zoe (McDormand). After deciding to share the beach house for the weekend, Harry and Marin head to the bedroom only for Marin to cry out that there is something wrong with Harry. In hospital and numerous tests later Dr Mercer (Reeves) tells Harry that he has had a heart attack and should not travel, so he had no choice but to say with Erica at the beach house to recuperate.

A romantic comedy that stars two actors over the age of fifty-five talking about love and having sex?

Your first reaction might be pass the sick bag, if you are not of a similar age, as the idea of “frumpy love” might sound like the most nauseating thing imaginable but “Something’s Gotta Give” is one of the most entertaining Rom-coms to come along in a very long time.

This is all down to the magnificent performances of the two leads, the incomparable Jack Nicholson and the delightful Diane Keaton. Both are on top form and again show their prowess for almost farcical comedy. The combination of great one-liners and moments of pure physical comedy is a delight throughout and a smile hardly ever leaves your face.
Nicholson returns to comedy with ease with his best comedic performance since “As Good as it gets”. In a role than parodies his own off-screen reputation, Nicholson excels with his trademark grin and voice drawing you into the character’s sheer confidence but then exposes his hidden insecurities.
We all know that Diane Keaton can play this type of character in her sleep but Erica is slightly different to the romantic-comedy roles she is so famous for. This is a woman that has given up on any chance of love, who has created her own safe, uncomplicated world so she will never be hurt again but then Harry smashes down all of the walls she has created. Keaton plays the role in a daringly open manner, as she isn’t afraid to reveal the entirety of her character’s emotions and body, in an extremely funny scene. It is also a very strong role for an older actor proving that an actress’s romantic comedy career doesn’t have to end as soon as she passes thirty-five.

The support is also good. Amanda Peet, besides from being extremely beautiful, is also a good actress that deserves more plaudits than she actually gets. Her performance as Marin, a person terrified of commitment in any shape or form, is very memorable and should get her noticed for more dramatic roles. Keanu Reeves leaves his action persona behind as Dr Julian Mercer. People might find it hard to believe that his character would be attracted to a women twenty years older but Reeves pulls it off quite well as he is intrigued by her mind and personality. Harder to believe is that he could be a heart specialist but that is just his past work dogging your judgement. Francis McDormand and Jon Favreau’s roles are little more than cameos however and a bit of a waste of their comedic talents.

A lot of the credit for the movie has to go to writer/director Nancy Meyers. She lets her two leads really get into their flow and into their characters to produce two first rate performances. While the movie is slightly over long as the inevitable finale takes along time to get to, the whole thing feels more like a play than a movie as most of the action takes place at Erica’s beach house with actually adds to the enjoyment.

Something’s Gotta Give is a very funny romantic comedy and worth seeing just for the performances of Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton. The two have such a good screen chemistry that is transcends age to show anyone what love can really be like, making it a must for all the hopeless romantics out there.

Star Rating = * * * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is very good, as you would expect from a modern film. The picture quality is sharp throughout bringing out the beauty of the Hampton’s and the house set. The sound quality is also first rate with a strong emphasis on dialogue as you’d want with a character driven romantic comedy.

BONUS FEATURES

Commentary with writer/director Nancy Meyers, producer Bruce A. Block and star Diane Keaton

Nancy Meyers and Bruce Block discuss the artistic and technical details of the movie. They talk about casting for the film with Meyers revealing that the cast she envisioned when writing it was the cast she ended up with. The editing process is also talked about as Meyers tells us that he original cut was two hours forty-five minutes and she reveals when scenes where cut and what they were about. Diane Keaton joins the commentary about 40 minutes in and watches the film for the first time.

Commentary with writer/director Nancy Meyers and Jack Nicholson

The ever-charismatic Jack Nicholson joins Nancy Meyers for a very entertaining commentary track. Jack is on top form, constantly cracking gags and revealing secrets of the shoot and his acting style. Every time Nancy Meyers tries to be serious, Jack instantly lightens the mood with a joke about himself or his co-stars. The two talk about deleted scenes, with Jack saying they were all perfectly performed by him and he goes on to reveal that he had no problem in showing his bare behind but he was upset not to be invited to the filming of the opening sequence with the models.

Something Romantic About the Story (3.13 mins)

Writer/Director Nancy Meyers and her stars talk over an extended version of the trailer about the movie and what is so romantic about the story.

Hampton’s House Set Tour with Amanda Peet (2.50 mins)

The lovely Amanda Peet takes you behind the scenes of the Hampton’s house set and introduces you to the crew. She also reveals what it was like to work with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton.

Harry sings Karaoke to Erica – Deleted scene (2.55 mins)

Your chance to hear Jack Nicholson sing in a scene that takes place in a bar where Harry has set something romantic up. He doesn’t have a bad voice.

Theatrical Trailer (2.43 mins)

The full theatrical trailer used to promote the movie.

OVERALL

The two extremely good commentary tracks are the saving grace of the DVD as the rest of the bonus features are nothing to write home about. The lack of deleted scenes, especially when Nancy Meyers reveals the commentary that the original cut was 2 hours 45 minutes, is criminal and the featurettes are pretty pointless. The transfer of the movie is very good however, add in the excellent commentaries and you have a good buy for fans and a good rent for everyone else.

DVD Star Rating = * * *

Jamie Kelwick

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