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Summary: Woody Allen's back and as spicy as ever!
Review: "Anything Else," is the latest from quirky writer/director Woody Allen, famous for his work in the 70s and 80s such as "Annie Hall." This film charts the shaky relationship between Jerry (Jason Biggs, "American Pie"), a neurotic comedy writer, who's developing a bond with a fellow neurotic comedian Dobel (Woody Allen, "Hollywood Ending"), and trying to find a way to break from his needy agent (Danny DeVito, "Big Fish"), and the girl of his dreams (Christina Ricci, "Sleepy Hollow"), but he's not prepared for the storm of hassle she brings.With it's quirky characters, sharp writing, and classy music, "Anything Else" should win over Allen nuts and causal comedy fans alike!
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Summary: The Best Woody Since 'Deconstructing Harry'
Review: ... and the first 'original' Allen picture since the still-wonderful "Annie Hall," from '77. For those with the ability to get past the central casting (some just can't buy Ricci and Biggs talking about Billie Holiday), this variation on Allen's neurotics-in-love presents the familiar material from a truly fresh perspective for the first time since the 1977 classic: Its almost a goodbye to the neurotic New York milieu, a refutation of the themes of seasonal rebirth and human foibles that Allen has been working over and over (often to fine effect) since "Annie Hall." If fact, "Anything Else" could almost be the anti-"Annie Hall": Thirty years on, the neurotic girlfriend no longer seems as sweet as Diane Keaton, but rather as barbed and dangerous as the big-eyed Ricci. Even Danny DeVito's sweet loser of an agent (which Allen played himself in "Broadway Danny Rose")gets mercilessly rebuked. For those with enough patience for the Allen vibe, "Anythign Else" was one of 2003's biggest surprises, and near return-to-form for one of the country's great filmmakers.
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Summary: Something More
Review: Allen revisits the old romantic themes of Annie Hall and Manhattan with the twenty-something generation. Some of the similarities are tiresome, but the differences are interesting. Allen's youthful persona was very Jewish, in humor and style. The young Jewish comic writer Allen befriends in Anything Else is a well-adjusted, bland, and carefree Jew who snugly feels himself accepted into the mainstream. Allen, the elder Jew, represents the fears and doubts that have plagued Jews throughout the 20th Century, and the discrepancy between the eternal psychological outsider and the amnesiac insider makes for tension missing in Allen's previous films. While Allen seems to be mocking his character's obsessiveness perhaps it's also a genuine reflection of the rise of anti-Jewish feelings in US and Western Europe as Muslim populations increase and the memory of Holocaust grows dimmer with every new generation.
Best of all, Anything Else has Allen grappling with something that can't be joked away. In all his previous films, no matter how dire things got in personal or public life, there was always the defusing, disarming wisecrack. Not so in Anything Else, where literally heavily armed Allen examines the core of fear and insecurity haunting Jews, especially if you're short, weak, and gawky.
Biggs is adequate, DeVito is great as usual, Ricci is very very sexy.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good
Review: Anything else id not as good as Allen's other. The neurotic character is more in Biggs character, than in Allen's. Biggs is like a young Allen, and it's not that great. Besides that the movie is pretty funny, not rolling on the floor funny, but funny.
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Summary: Woody Allens, "Woody Allen XXVI"
Review: As in most of his movies, Woody Allen tapped into the most sacred thing he could find for inspiration - himself. It was a fairly typical Woody Allen movie, composed of Woody Allen himelf, characters that were Woody Allen in essence, a sprinkling of poignant racism, and the females that Woody Allen really wants to sleep with, but never really could, and makes up for in his own private fantasies. Despite the fact that the actors and actresses had big names, the acting was horrible, because not everyone is Woody Allen and/or meant to act EXACTLY like him. Again, like most Woody Allen films, he focused on his expert "advice," along with a few completely meaningless jokes, simply added to show how "funny" he really is. I would have to say, however, that this film would be loved by any Woody Allen fan, as it is pretty much the same, give or take a few big names and scenes, as all of his other films. I can understand and almost sympathize with some people for finding enjoyment in Woody Allens intense vocabulary and interesting tastes, and even some who are infatuated with the same sort of hopeless sexual fantasies that he drums up; but two stuttering, insecure "meeks" who have plans to "inherit the Earth" where just a bit too much for me to stomach for all 38 hours of this 1 hour and 45 minute long movie.
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Summary: Woody Allen's Finest Hour
Review: Call me crazy; my view is, most likely, an autonomous one. I believe that this is Woody Allen's finest film ("Take the Money and Run" is a close second). For the first time, Allen crafts an emotionally shattering and verisimilar work of art---something that he always dreamed of doing. ANYTHING ELSE hits the bone. It appears to tell the truth---even if it does not actually do so---about an aspect of sexual relations between young men and women. Christina Ricci plays a sexually and emotionally unavailable young actress. Jason Biggs (in his only good performance to date) is the younger version of Allen, a comedy writer who is subjected to the whims and charms of Ricci's character. Their relationship is a sadomasochistic one and is doomed to failure. Bigg's character is truly the victim. The humor takes some of the edge off, casting the seriousness of the film into sharp relief; it makes the material more palatable, but this is still one bitter pill. This film should be watched alongside THE SHAPE OF THINGS; this film, however, has the advantage of being funny. Allen always wanted to be regarded as a serious filmmaker. If there is any justice in the world, because of ANYTHING ELSE, he will be.
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Summary: If you enjoy smart funny films do not miss this one.
Review: Even if you don't love Woody Allen's films...but... If you don't love Woody Allen's films, at least his romantic period stuff (Annie Hall to A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy),you don't like movies. Go to the couch. Pull out that Pearl Harbour special edition...or Armageddon...sit back...and just let it roll.
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Summary: Not like Anything Else
Review: First of all, the 5 is for the film, not the DVD. How can I give five stars to a DVD with no extras? Remember the days that we bought movies because they were good, not because they had Richard Shickel commentaries...(I mean, isn't there a better critic?). The film is excellent, it's my favorite Woody Allen film in recent years. I mean, I love Sweet and Lowdown and most of the 90s run...but there's something about this film. Jason Biggs does an excellent job playing a young neurotic...essentially Woody. For those who never noticed, most characters in a Woody Allen film are playing Woody Allen. Biggs does such a good job that has been cast in the next Allen film to come. Ricci is sexy and lovable despite the major flaws in her character. Danny Devito....oh man. Don't be discouraged by the terrible cover art. "It's like a man walking down the street in a new suit. Then suddenly, he sees another man wearing a better suit. Now he doesn't like the suit he has on anymore." - DeVito
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Summary: A welcome return to form after some duds
Review: Having been disappointed with Allen's most recent efforts (I couldn't even get through 'Hollywood Ending'), this was a really pleasant surprise. I suppose it can be classed as a comedy drama, like many of Allen's films - and here the two elements are cleanly divided as the story unfolds of young comedy writer Jerry Falk (American Pie's Jason Biggs) and his beautiful but flakey girlfriend Amanda (Christina Ricci). They provide most of the drama, while Allen as Jerry's pal and svengali David Dobell provides the comedy as he passes on esoteric advice and commentary intermittently during their walks in Central Park. One strange facet of Allen's character here is that apart from being erudite and well-read, he is also supposed to suffer from a slight mental illness: Allen's portrayal is strangely endearing in this regard, although whether this is deliberate and subtle acting I'm not too sure. Perhaps he will now appear slightly eccentric in all his future performances. In fact this device is just a way for Allen to carry out his usual trick of giving himself the best lines which occasionally have a surreal element - and which are generally very funny, so it's good to see Allen's comedic skills haven't deserted him. It's also refreshing to find he has finally given up on using himself as the romantic interest and passed that torch onto younger cast members. I got the feeling that Allen has turned a corner with this film, hopefully heralding an Indian Summer for him. A couple of small things make it notable: first, it was shot in 2.35:1 widescreen (the first genuine widescreen Allen film since Manhattan), second, it is the first film in which Allen's age is specified in the script - Jerry describes him in the first five minutes as being 60, a slight understatement, but hey, at least it's something. Maybe this age-reference is significant, but I do know that Allen looks incredibly young in this film: apart fom hair transplants has he had any nips and tucks? He looks younger than in Annie Hall in some close-ups, which is rather strange. There are also strange references and homages to earlier films: Dobell drives around in a sports car (here bright red) which is identical to that bought by Michael Murphy in Manhattan, while Jerry arranges a 'chance' meeting with Amanda rather as Michael Caine's character does with Barbara Hershey in Hannah And Her Sisters. The three principals essentially have the film to themselves: Stockard Channing as Amanda's boozy mother appear only briefly, so while Ricci's and Allen's performances are spot-on, I have a few doubts about Jason Biggs. Most of the time he is very believable and pleasing as a young comedy writer but occasionally his inexperience can surface when his timing is a little off and he seems to be reciting the lines rather than delivering them conversationally. Anything Else has been describes as Annie Hall II - and while it's not in that film's class, it does take you on a journey which leaves you feeling satisfied as the credits roll. I really recommend this one for Allen fans. DVD-wise, this is a good release as all Allen's films tend to be. The 2.35:1 image is superb: crisp and sharp with no artefacts or edge enhancements. The usual Allen green-brown palette for clothes and furnishings is leavened occasionally by bright colours: Allen's scarlet shirt in an early scene is rock-solid with no bleeding. One sequence where Jerry spies on Amanda at dusk portrays the light very accurately, with no grain at all. This is a top notch transfer. As for sound, this is Allen's usual mono soundtrack, with all the dialogue coming crisply from the centre speaker and ambient jazz occasionally using the other fronts. No action from the rear speakers, but there's no need for them in this film at all. So a very nice soundtrack indeed. The disc also has a welcome first, a DVD extra which (incredibly) actually has some input from the writer/director: it's only a production note on a few screens, but we do get some quotes from Biggs and Ricci - as well as Allen himself giving information about the casting process.
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Summary: Suprisingly neoteric ......
Review: Here we have yet another offering from our number one existentialist in hollywood.
Filled with quirky and extremely irritating, (even perverse characters}, the film offers up some good laughs.
Is it as good as earlier Woody Allen films? I'll be honest, Manhatten Murder Mystery is the only other film which I have viewed but judging by the reviews I would say that it is a safe guess that this is not the case. However, this is a fresh and unique little comedy that will offer a moment of shade from the banality that seems to haunt comedies at the present.
Like the recent works of Wes Anderson, this is a comedy more in the greek sense, operating with the understanding that comedy is essentially trajedy. I loved this film.
Give it a chance.
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