Anything Else (Wide Screen)

Advantages: Woody Allan fans...here we come
Disadvantages: so classic of Woody Allen

"Anything Else," is meant to be a romantic comedy, set in New York. Maybe in Hollywood, the only place where people meet and fall in love is in NY or L.A, while it is extremely rare that we get a romantic comedy set on another location. Like Washington DC or San Francisco never *falls in love. Tell me something about powerful propaganda. "I can't leave anybody. I'm afraid to sleep alone," says Jerry (Jason Biggs) about his frustratingly sexless infatuation ...
...He also can't leave his agent (a desperate man who is afraid or rejection Danny DeVito) or his dry, rather self-centered shrink (William Hill). Jason Biggs plays Jerry Falk, a comedy writer, with commitment problems. Not typical for most males, Jerry commits too much, having a problem of detaching himself from people. He's never left a girlfriend and doesn't know how to break off a relationship because of his fear from loneliness. But what he really ... Read review

Advantages: Great performance by Biggs
Disadvantages: A bit slow starting

Anything Else (2003) stars: Jason Biggs Christina Ricci Woody Allen Danny Devito Stockard Channing Jerry Falk (Biggs), is an aspiring comedy writer living on the fringe in New York City. A chance meeting on a double-date spells love at first sight with the cherubic Amanda (Christina Ricci), a struggling actress and singer. Jerry is so blinded by Amanda's fresh spontaneity and fetching joie-de-vivre that he neglects to notice the obvious: Amanda ...
...Though hardly vintage Allen, Anything Else hits its marks far more often than it misses. The script is punctuated with enough genuine zingers (Look at her body language -- all verbs) and Woody-esque wisdom (Work gives the illusion of meaning; sex gives the illusion of continuity) to placate Allen's idiosyncratic fans, while Biggs' and Ricci's presence clearly calls out to the American Pie set. Biggs wears Allen's trademark paranoia like a comfortable ... Read review

Advantages: funny, Christina Ricci
Disadvantages: Jason Biggs

+++ The plot: The movie is set in New York, where we meet Jerry Falk (Jason Biggs) and his girlfriend Amanda (Christina Ricci). Jerry is a young comedy writer (a young Woody Allen if you want) who has a big problem: he can't say no to anybody. Amanda has no problem saying no to him when it comes to have sex and it leaves Jerry very frustrated. He confides in his older friend Dobel (Woody Allen) who is also a comedy writer. Dobel becomes Jerry's ...
...from his useless agent (Danny De Vito). +++ My opinion: I thought the movie was really funny at times; Woody Allen gave Dobel some great lines. And the cast is great: Ricci, Allen and De Vito are especially good, but unfortunately Jason Biggs didn't quite do it for me. He was okay at times, but most of the times I couldn't help but think that he was reciting his lines instead of acting. +++ The cast: Jason Biggs: Jerry Falk Christina Ricci: ... Read review

Advantages: Funny
Disadvantages: You might not think so

OK, Woody Allen gets some very bad press these days. His films aren't any good, his best years are behnd him, he's a shadow of his former self etc etc. Absolute rubbish. Woody allen's films are very funny and to be honest I prefer his more recent films to his old ones. Anyway, the thing is if you like his sense of humour you'll like this. You pretty much know what you're getting with a Woody Allen film, very witty, often set in New York, lots of ...
...and always some very extraordinary situations. This time he plays a mentor role to a young guy (Jason Biggs) who has girlfriend troubles (Christina Ricci), he likes her, she sleeps around, then leaves him. She has a crazy mother (Stockard Channing), Woody buys him an urban survival kit which includes various unbelievable things most of which are useless (e.g. a catapult I think), he attacks a pair of thugs who steal his parking space, then gets into ... Read review

Advantages: Honest, Charming, Real & Fun
Disadvantages: Some slow bits, and is Scarlett Pregnant???

...Stuff: This is a review of the film only, as per the criteria below. This movie is rated in the US as R meaning that under 17 require parental guidance. This is all because of one tiny scene where we see some tits, as I can't think of anything else that would be the reason for it. In Europe, its rated 15 - which is more reasonable, if you ask me. This movie is already available on DVD (both wide-screen and full-screen versions) from http://homevideo.universalstudios.com/title.php?titleId=2434 for $19.98 or on VHS (from the same site) for only $7.98. Or, on the British Amazon site for £13.48 for the DVD and £10.39 for the video. Also on Amazon you can get the soundtrack for £10.99 on CD, and they also have it on vinyl (why, I'm not sure) for £12.99. Official web site for this movie can be found at http... Read review

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