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Directed by: Woody Allen Starring: Jason Biggs, Christina Ricci, Woody Allen Anything Else stars Jason Biggs as the prototypical Woody Allen central character, and Christina Ricci as Amanda, his neurotic on-and-off girlfriend. Biggs's Jerry Falk is a young, aspiring writer very much in love Amanda, but also very torn up inside as he confides with Woody Allen's character, David Dobel, his friend and advisor. Falk has a very hard time saying no to anyone, and as such, in several of his relationships he gives more than he gets. Along with is girlfriend Amanda, he has to deal with her mother moving into his apartment and an agent (DeVito) who constantly makes analogies comparing things to suits in some way. Falk is a very nervous man, and Woody Allen has him behaving here exactly how Woody Allen would behave if he were playing the part. This seems strange at first, especially when he first meets with Dobel (Allen). But we get used to Biggs's performance, and the Dobel character is actually the most entertaining in the picture, and one of the more amusing characters I have seen in any film recently, in fact. Dobel is a lunatic, but he spouts off sage-like advice in a steady stream that constantly impresses Falk and has Falk looking up to him for advice, even though Dobel readily admits his own career has never amounted to anything. This movie is very funny, if you enjoy Woody Allen's sense of humor. And the humor in this movie is a bit more clever than in his recent pictures, like the uninspired slapstick Hollywood Ending. But by moving back to a movie more like his earlier works, Allen actually reuses base material from older movies like Annie Hall, or subjects like Freud and Dostoevsky. He indeed seems a little out of date, and we must forgive him since the characters in their early twenties probably shouldn't be admiring Diana Krall and Billie Holiday. But despite being old-fashioned, this movie is interesting and funny, and also studies some favorite Woody Allen themes like death, sex and love. RATING: 4.5 PROS: Funny, intelligent, and a return to old Woody Allen films CONS: Several small shortcomings ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0313792/
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May 10, 2004 20:14
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 01:44 |
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