Anything Else

This was a very dull film. It had a few funny one-liners but not funny enough to stick in my mind. None of the characters is sympathetic, most of them are downright irritating. Jason Biggs is a pathetic loser fixated on a self-centered bundle of neuroses played by Christina Ricci (note to the casting director: Ricci is not attractive enough to play a femme fatale). Woody Allen plays another pathetic loser, as do Danny de Vito and Stockard Channing. All are wasted. I went with a group of friends, otherwise I would have walked out: as it was I tried desperately to go to sleep. The title gives the clue: if anyone suggests this film ask if there is anything else . . . anything. Avoid.

If you like Woody you may find some meager shred of entertainment value in "Anything Else". If you're like me and just can't get into that Freudian nervous stammering New York quasi-intellectual Woody thing, forget this one. This flick reeks of Allen from the 40's music to Woody's on and off screen presence to Biggs stuttering like Woody to the nonstop yammering dialogue....etc. Just so much yada yada yada. (C)

Compared to the recent Woody Allen movies, this one is a bit lacking in laughs and sophistication. Still the dialog is interesting and it's pleasant enough - just won't want to watch it again. There are funny situations that we see in many of Woody's heroines for example Ricci's infidelity and the way relationships transfer from one person to the next Stockard Channing is a bit tired looking. It's like a rough draft for one of his better movies. Jason Biggs is very much his American Pie type of lead. Woody himself is a bit out of place here and he's unconvincing. Ricci is a bit unattractive for a person many are supposed to fall in love with. Overall: watch it if you are a Woody Allen fan and want to see all his movies but it really ranks pretty low in his output.

Another Woody Allen movie, another Woody Allen set of characters (from NY of course). I liked Woody's character, but I felt that Biggs, who played the main character (the type which Woody has played so many times), was awkward in his role. He was not as fun to watch as a younger Woody Allen. Christina Ricci did a good job. Danny DeVito delivered a very funny performance. All in all I enjoyed myself and got a lot of laughs, though there were somewhat-rehashed situations and characters. Just do not expect to see another Manhattan, Purple Rose of Cairo or Deconstructing Harry

A man with no confidence. its good btw. and all of the people around the main character is still alive. and the story is not too boring to watch. just the main character, he is clueless about people around him.

I went into the free preview last night willing to suspend my prejudice against Woody Allen and give Anything Else a fair shot at winning my applause. Unfortunately, the 3 funny 1-liners, & the Billie Holiday songs couldn't make up for the horrid acting and non-existent directing. The audience it probably supposed to feel sorry for the Jason Biggs character, but I just couldn't. Here's a 21 yr old "man" who has never kicked anyone out of his life. He's shrink doesn't care what his issues are in life, but he keeps returning for 3 years! His girlfriend (played by Ricci) cheats on him at least twice if not three times, and he can't cut her out of his life. Instead, he keeps taking her back...even if he hasn't gotten any in 6 months. And his manager is a complete loser who still lives with his mom, even though he's over 60. UGH! Grow a backbone already. Enough ranting...I just couldn't stand this flick. The only people I'd recommend this film to are people I can't stand.

The new Woody Allen movie Anything Else is forgettably titled but go see it. I can't think of any of his movies that have more sustained laughs. Jason Biggs, the actor who f***ed a pie, does an understated Woody-impression opposite Christina Ricci whose scenes prove again that Woody, however you may feel about the Soon-Yi episode, can sure write a female character and can sure film a beautiful woman. It really tells you how good a Woody picture is when you sit in a cineplex in Baton Rouge on a Friday night and as you're watching it you notice that not one yokel is walking out.

Anything Else is a pointless tragic story of a few years in the life of an awkward protagonist (Jerry Falk, played by Jason Biggs) struggling to date the object of his mad crush (Amanda, played by Christina Ricci) as she strings him out for everything he's worth. He spends interminable time discussing his problems with his old professor (David Dobel, played by Woody Allen) and his psychiatrist (William Hill). Falk's profession, comedy writer, doesn't benefit the movie, and his terrible piece goods salesman agent (Harvey, played by Danny DeVito) only makes Falk's situation worse. Avoid this movie in favor of anything else.