Jami Bernard
Gary Dretzka
Leonard Klady
David Poland
Doug Pratt
Ray Pride
Stu VanAirsdale
..Gary
Dretzka
..Leonard
Klady
..David
Poland
..Ray
Pride
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There's a not particularly funny or illuminating joke that's related at the beginning of Woody Allen's new film that involves a cabbie and his fare. After a short burst of emotion by the passenger, the cabbie provides the punchline - "it's like anything else." As noted it's a response that simply hangs in the air. Most of Mr. Allen's new film Anything Else also appears to be floating on nothing and it isn't funny or illuminating.
The broad strokes of this tale of Manhattan involve Jerry Falk (Jason Biggs), a comedy writer and his relationship with Amanda (Christina Ricci), an aspiring actress with a well developed resume of neurosis. Things are not going well in Jerry's personal or professional life. His obnoxious agent (Danny DeVito) has him writing routines for second rate comics, Amanda has turned frigid and she's moved her equally erratic mother (Stockard Channing) into their already crowded apartment. His shrink rarely speaks and he's receiving advice from David Dobel (Allen), a school teacher who's been preparing for a full time writing career for close to 40 years.
It would be nice to think that the film is better than this thumbnail sketch … but it's not. The dynamics and even several characterizations have echoes of three decades of movies from the Allen canon. However, the film feels less like personal theft than utter desperation, or the presumably momentary lapse of having nothing new to say or finding a unique angle to tell a familiar yarn.
Certainly in the past decade, Allen's films have felt more like try outs than professional engagements. Most have invariably had intriguing elements whether it was a unique spin on a situation or performances of humor and compassion. And Allen is generally very good at the craft of making movies and telling stories. Still, I can't think of a film since Husbands and Wives in 1992 that's felt completely realized.
The new film is also curiously lacking in charm. He has his able cast emote in a singularly awkward and unpleasant fashion that effectively shuts out any possibility of warming up to the various predicaments. Allen has the most difficulty with his own role having made Biggs his screen surrogate. Dobel simply isn't the nurturing sort or an effective mentor and the director truly needed to tone him down as well as put weights on his arms. Allen, the actor, has developed terrible traits and none is worse than his constantly flailing hands.
At this very moment, Allen is preparing to film a new movie and one cannot help but hope it will demonstrate some of the spark and originality of Manhattan, September or Crimes and Misdemeanors. Still one suspects it's time for him to skip a year, reflect and do some very earnest, painstaking and time consuming work on the movie after that.
A DreamWorks film release of a Perdido production. Produced by Letty Aronson. Director/screenplay, Woody Allen. Camera, Darius Khondji. Editor, Alisa Lepselter. Production design, Santo Loquasto. Costumes, Laura Jean Shannon.
Jason Biggs (Jerry Falk), Christina Ricci (Amanda), Woody Allen (David Dobel), Danny DeVito (Harvey), Stockard Channing (Paula), William Hill (Psychiatrist).
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Anything
Else |
Release
Date: September 19, 2003
Rated: R
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Cast: Woody Allen, Jason Biggs, Stockard
Channing, Danny DeVito, Christina Ricci
Produced by: Letty Aronson
Screenwriter: Woody Allen
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Distributor:
DreamWorks
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Review Date: September 19, 2003
