Review of Anything Else (2003) by Steph O — 13 Aug 2010

"Anything Else" stars Jason Biggs as Jerry Falk, a struggling comic writer who is trying to get along with all of the borderline insane people in his life. His girlfriend, his friend, his friend's mother, his manager... even his shrink isn't quite with it. This movie isn't laugh-out-loud funny, but it's still amusing. Some great one-liners from Woody Allen, as usual. Allen plays David Dobel, a fellow comic and seemingly wise old man. Dobel and Falk become friends, because Falk thinks Dobel's stories and theories are fascinating. But Falk slowly begins to realise his new friend is just a tad loopy.

Itâ??s interesting seeing Jason Biggs playing someone relatively intelligent, and not so dorky. Iâ??ve always liked him. And I liked the moments in "Anything Else" where Falk broke the fourth wall and started narrating as things were happening. I thought they did that pretty well. Truthfully I don't think there was anyone in the cast I disliked. Which is rare. Christina Ricci plays Falk's girlfriend Amanda. Amanda's a struggling actress with a bizarre attitude towards just about everything. She says things like, â??Iâ??m not beautiful, Iâ??m fat!â?? and refuses to let Falk touch her. At one point she tells him he can sleep with other women if he wants, and even tries to set her up with a girl. Initially though, Falk forgives her odd nature, because he thinks she is "adorable" and she likes all the things he likes. They bond over Bogart and Sinatra. Dobel sees right through her before anyone else does. â??She IS crazy! The Pentagon should use her hormones for chemical warfare.â?? â?? he says to Falk.

This story could have been a whole lot more interesting instead of just mediocre, but it still isn't a bad movie. Not in my opinion anyway. I loved the moments where Falk was beginning to realise what a nutcase his new friend Dobel was. And Dobel's little pearl of wisdom: â??Never trust a naked bus driver.â?? I don't know, I guess if you can resist comparing this movie to Woody Allen's classic older movies (if you've seen them) you'll probably enjoy "Anything Else".