Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin - End the war NOW!!: Anything Else (2003) - Allen's perfect, underrated millennial relationship comedy

8/29/2013

Anything Else (2003) - Allen's perfect, underrated millennial relationship comedy

♥♥♥♥♥♥

+ Best Huge Flop Movie of the Year + Best New York Movie of the Year + Best Romcom of the Year + Most Under-appreciated Movie of the Year

Being romantically involved with a complex, modern woman can be a heavy burden to bear, as this perky, up-beat poster for Woody Allen's Anything Else seems to suggest

Anything Else is the 33rd film from master New-Yorker writer-director Woody Allen (Deconstructing Harry (1997)). Opinions differ wildly on it.

We follow a young New York author, whose relationship with a very difficult young woman taps him of his energy, while he continually seeks advice and consolation from an aging artist, whom he befriends.

Jason Biggs (Orange Is the New Black (2013-17)) plays the young, neurotic 'young Allen'-like figure and does so extremely well, while Allen plays an endlessly quoting, paranoid, ultimately murderous Jew. Christina Ricci (War Flowers (2012)) is the 'eccentric' (read; borderline mad) woman. And in a supporting role as an amateurish literary agent, Danny De Vito (Be Cool (2005)) shines especially brightly. The film is all fantastically humorous fun, mixed with jazz, philosophy and amble doses of keen sarcasm.
And to all the complexities of life and love that the film presents a slice of, the simpler inclined cab driver that Allen quotes simply returns; "Ah well ... - It's like anything else." - Wherefrom the film gets its title.
The hilarious scenes are one after the other here, poignant and absurdly funny at the same time, in what I rank as an under-appreciated relationship comedy gemstone in Allen's late career.

Related posts:

Woody Allen: 2016 in films - according to Film Excess

Café Society (2016) - The greatest living American filmmaker hands us another splendid gem

Irrational Man (2015) - Allen's pleasant morality tale divertisement

2014 in films - according to Film Excess

Magic in the Moonlight (2014) - Allen's irresistible French Riviera romance

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Blue Jasmine (2013) - Allen presenets Blanchett, a woman under the influence

Fading Gigolo (2013) - Turturro's pleasant turn as a high-end NY prostitute (as actor)

To Rome with Love (2012) - Woody Allen's slightest film to date

2011 in films - according to Film Excess

Midnight in Paris (2011) - Allen's zany (and a little depressing) crowd-pleaser

Cassandra's Dream (2007) - Allen's well-laid but inconsequentiel English cul-de-sac

Top 10: The best big flop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001) - Allen's hypnotic, noirish shenanigans
Celebrity (1998) or, Stars in New York
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) - Sin and guilt up for laughs and rumination in unspectacular Allen work
Broadyway Danny Rose (1984) or, Keep Your Heart

Top 10: Best comedies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Annie Hall (1977) or, My Relationship with Alvie Singer

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972) - Allen's curious sex comedy is a riot
Bananas (1971) - Woody Allen's South American misadventure is still a barrel of laughs
Casino Royale (1967) - The packed spy spoof frontrunner, a film very much of its time (as actor)

Watch one of the priceless scenes from the film here

Cost: 18 mil. $
Box office: 13.5 mil. $
= Huge flop (0.75 times the cost)
[Anything Else premiered 27 August (Venice Film Festival, Italy) and runs 108 minutes. Allen's sister Letty Aronson (Celebrity (1998)) produced the picture. Shooting took place in New York from May - August 2002. The film opened #12 to a 1.6 mil. $ first weekend in 1,033 theaters in North America, where it only dropped from there and only played 4 weeks, grossing a paltry 3.2 mil. $ (17.8 % of the total gross). The film's 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Spain with 3.1 mil. $ (17.2 %) and France with 3 mil. $ (16.7 %). Though many critics lambasted the film, Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs (1992)) has named it as one of his 20 favorites since his filmmaking career began in 1992. Allen returned with Melinda and Melinda (2004). Biggs returned in Jersey Girl (2004), and Ricci in I Love Your Work (2003). Anything Else is rotten at 40 % with a 5.2 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Anything Else?

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Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin - End the war NOW!!

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