Very well executed

As Good As It Gets

Absolutely Brilliant!

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Richard (David Tennant) is a Scottish undertaker who dreams of being a screenwriter. To his amazement, the woman of his casting dreams, aspiring actress Barbara (Vinessa Shaw) meets him unexpectedly as a tourist in his native land. She is flattered by Richard's immediate attentions and the two spark up a friendship until its time for Barbara to go home. End of story? Not quite. Richard decides to take an extended vacation and travel to Los Angeles in search of his true love. After all, maybe his yearning to make it as a screenwriter will be better realized in Hollywood, too. His initial landing in the city is humorous as he goes to the bad part of town and is the target of scorn by the tough guys. Yet, a man rescues him, takes him to a vacant apartment and gets him a job as a pool boy. Now, Rich must make an entrance at the fancy restaurant where Barb works and see if she missed him. It's a surprise and surreal reunion. There are also complications as Barbara has a boyfriend with many connections in the movie business. How can she dump her current beau for Richard, when she is just about to "make it" in Tinseltown? Can she get good advice from Julie (Julie Delpy) , a zany co-worker at the eatery? This sweet film is definitely enhanced by Tennant's winning ways and handsome face. He is a charmer and quite funny. Shaw is beautiful indeed but somewhat of a cold fish. Delpy has her moments while, most importantly, Johnny Depp makes a cameo that is side-splitting. The scenery, costumes, script and direction are all above average. For romcom fans, like me, there is always an endless pursuit to find hidden gems like this movie of 25 years ago.

There's a mystery at the heart of this abberation...why on earth did somebody of Johnny Depp's talent chose to cameo in this debacle? Unsympathetic characters, dodgy editing, bland caricatures and a plot line you'd have trouble filling a matchbook with. Our 'hero', Tennant is about as interesting to watch as a lobotomy on a gnat. To say he's uninspiring is a gross injustice to flat performers the world over. So here it is: Bradford undertaker decides to follow LA chick back to her homeland...and?...motivation?...development? That would be asking too much. Question: Vincent Gallo, Julie Delpy, what on earth were you thinking of? This insipid piece of self indulgent flatulence should have been strangled in the editing room, I say editing room loosely. It feels like the producers shipped the editing duties out to a first term film student...there are plenty of bad films out there, thankfully this one has been hidden in amongst the other dross on cable pay TV. The likes of Gallo, Delpy and Depp must cringe whenever this one is half remembered.

I realize that I should not comment on other peoples comments, but sometimes it just p***es me of how low the rating is.L.A. Without a Map is not really a "romantic comedy" a la Meg Ryan/Sandra Bullock, but it IS very romantic and sometimes funny and sad. The main character is a pretty strange man, and the female character is far from being "a good girl". I would catalogize it as Tragic comedy/Drama. This movie is probably an example of how "non-standard" films are unpopular with many people. DO NOT watch this movie if you like Jennifer Love Hewitt.The lighting here is dark and realistic almost like a documentary at times. The characters are real characters with depth. Tennant and Shaw are great. Unlike a "romantic comedy" the ending is not retarded and predictable. Tennant is the last person you would expect as the "hero" of a "romantic comedy". He gives the movie depth and realism. All characters of the move are actually anti-heroes. The movie is still funny and positive and deeply human.

As a director, Mika Kaurismäki is definitely not as talented as his brother Aki, the drawer of great films like La vie de bohéme and Drfiting Clouds. L.A. Without a Map has nothing in it, and proves with "Condition Red" and "Last Border" that Mika Kaurismäki has lost his touch of directing. With "L.A." M. Kaurismäki tries to make a some sort of a satire of Hollywood, and connects it to a love story of a british undertaker and a lovely waitress from Hollywood. David Tennant and Vinessa Shaw play the main characters with out any kind of charisma. When Tennant's undertaker wants to be a writer and Shaw's waitress wants to be an actress in any cost, their relationship in Hollywood seems to be an impossible thing to work out.Vincent Gallo and Julie Delpy make a charming couple in the film, but their chracters are very poorly sketched. Johnny Depp and Jerzy Skolimowski make funny cameos.L.A. Without a Map won't make you laugh when it's supposed to, trust me. But it's not as bad you might expect, it's not a pathetic picture. Kaurismäki has only made a film that will easily erase from memory. And because of that, you can safely watch it. But that's not much.