Review of Anything Else (2003) by Tim H — 22 Feb 2008

This marketing campaign is terrible. Look at that poster. Seriously, Flixster took the time to put it up so I want you to look at it. Jason Biggs is holding up a big heartshaped Christina Ricci. It looks like a romantic comedy that probably has a filthy moment that involves a byproduct of an animal. IT'S NOT THAT MOVIE...AT ALL!

This is really solid Woody Allen. This is the stuff Woody does best. Relationships between men and women without the sappy music and moments in the rain. Okay, there's a scene in the rain in this one, but the rain is much more realistic. Instead of making the couple more radiant, the couple gets pissed because they're getting rained on.

...like real life. That's pretty much why I like this movie so much. This is closer to real life (despite being somewhat of an absurd comedy) than most romantic comedies ever try to venture into. Christina Ricci plays her part as the selfish girlfriend perfectly. Yes, she's a little over the top, but not to the point of being unbelievable. She's just a selfish person. Her job, as an actress, was to convey that and she did a marvelous job. Now to Jason Biggs. I've never really been a fan. I've never gone so far as to despise him or regret seeing him in movies, but American Pie always left a bad taste in my mouth. (Luckily, I somewhat enjoyed Saving Silverman.) It's interesting to watch him in Anything Else because he's doing a Woody Allen impression the whole time. Some of it is intentional. Some of it is not. I'll say that much for him. I'll say this: While his performance isn't striking, it's never so off that I'm pulled out of the film. That will be my back-handed compliment for this review.

Now, to Woody Allen. This might be my last Woody for a while. This was the last in my Dreamworks collection and I can really hold off before I see Scoop. (Cassandra's Dream isn't playing anywhere around us.) It's interesting because I call this Woody Allen's Tuesdays With Morrie on a dark comedy twist. I love Woody as Goebel. To an extent, it's the character he's played in all of his movies, but the background to his character is very fun and very new for Allen. I'd love to see a movie just about Goebel, but I know that will never happen, despite the fact that Woody Allen makes a movie a year.

This movie is great, but wildly depressing. Don't be fooled by the marketing to this movie because you'll leave pissed...(or piss off your girlfriend.).