Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Review: I really struggled to find this movie interesting or even funny. Watching Christina Ricci being a right bitch towards Jason Biggs becomes boring after a while and the movie just seemed to drag. All the way through the film, Jason Biggs is questioning his love for Ricci and the fact that there sexual relationship is none existent, doesn't help matters. His character is also a struggling comedian and his agent, Danny DeVito, is completely useless. Having Woody Allen as a mentor, also didn't help matters because his advice always leads him down the wrong path. He also tries to get help from his shrink but he just  listens to all of the information without giving any advice. Basically Jason Biggs doesn't have anywhere to turn so he decides to move to Los Angeles after receiving a job through Woody Allen. It just seems like another Romantic Comedy from Woody Allen about a troubled relationship. I was hoping for a few laughs, but it wasn't that well written and it lacked entertainment. Disappointing! Round-Up: Jason Biggs, whose becomes famous through the American Pie franchise, acts the same in all of his movies and he seems to play the victim quite often. His performance in this movie wasn't that great but thats due to a poor storyline which is quite similar to other movies made by Woody Allen. The New York backdrop worked well in the movie, along with the gun scenes which were a break from the whole relationship concept, but I still expected a bit more entertainment. Budget: $18million Worldwide Gross: $13.5millionI recommend this movie to people who are into there Woody Allen movies about a couple who are in a troubled relationship. 3/10

Woody Allen is not for everyone but to me he is an interesting director who has a lot to say and does so in a funny, interesting and often in a painfully truthful way. He's done some masterpieces like Annie Hall, Manhattan, Crimes and Misdeameanours, Hannah and Her Sisters, Husbands and Wives and Purple Rose of Cairo, some great ones like Zelig, Stardust Memories and Sleeper though also with a few disappointments with What's Up Tiger Lily, To Rome With Love, Celebrity and Cassandra's Dream. Anything Else did not hold up as well as September, Scoop and Curse of the Jade Scorpion on re-watch(all of which I didn't care for on first viewing) but for all the flaws there are in the film it is nowhere near as bad as expected after hearing it cited often as Allen's worst. Anything Else is one of the weakest Allen films of the ones seen so far(there's still a fair few to go yet) but it's a bit too soon to say it is his worst, considering that I did enjoy it over all of the films mentioned as disappointments that's unlikely. Starting with the many good things, as always with Woody Allen Anything Else is exceptionally well made visually, with beautiful locations and luminous photography. The jazz soundtrack is equally sublime, providing slinky and haunting undercurrents that suited the film brilliantly. Anything Else does have a script that is very distinctive of Woody Allen, there are some genuinely funny moments and of the sly kind, parts really make you think of the issues Allen addresses, there is a lot of truth in the dialogue and painfully so and there is a biting, scathing approach that is sharp enough to make their impact. Sure, a few jokes fall flat which will be mentioned later, but the script is just fine on the whole. The story is uneven but it mostly keeps at a good pace, it does have a good amount of charm(well considering that there is a very clear Annie Hall influence that wasn't surprising) and the sense that the relationship is doomed right from the start- something that Annie Hall did not have- gave some darkness and depth. The acting is good, with Christina Ricci particularly strong and she is well supported by Woody Allen(well mostly) and Danny DeVito who are both hilarious. The chemistry between the leads is very believable and wisely takes centre stage. It is easy though to see why people do not like Anything Else because the characters are written so scathingly(especially Ricci's and Stockard Channing's) and in a selfish and neurotic way that compared to other Allen films it's not as easy to connect with them, that was likely to be intentional but as can be seen in the reviews it will turn people off. Stockard Channing does her best and is funny and formidable, but her character is underwritten so you are left wishing that Channing had much more of note to work with. Jason Biggs's didn't really work for me personally, like Kenneth Branagh in Celebrity(except not as annoyingly) some of the performance did feel that, for somebody intentionally channelling Woody Allen himself, that it was too much of an impersonation and not really coming into his own. Not all the story works, with the miscarriage subplot feeling underplayed and the Jews subplot could easily have been much more toned down or scrapped altogether. It was in this subplot also where the weak link of the jokes were situated, the Holocaust jokes are quite crude and unsubtle for Allen and it won't bode well with some, a couple were on the offensive side actually. All in all, has problems but better than expected considering what has been said about it(which is very understandable and valid but it's from personal viewpoint not as bad as all that). 6/10 Bethany Cox

Woody Allen always finds a way to connect with the mildly-neurotic writer inside me. Few filmmakers' works connect with me on such a personal, reclusive level and this is the third film Allen has made that has had left me truly fulfilled and confident in what I do. It shows me what I possibly have in store, how intellectuals function in a society driven by impulsive idiocy, and further prepares me for the incredibly long road I have ahead of me if I want to accomplish my dream of becoming a full-time film critic.Now that we have entertained a more cheeky, impatient society, Allen films are viewed one of two ways; as masterpieces or as flops. That's all there is to it. Anything Else was a flop and was thin, already digested soup when it was released in 2003. It didn't break any new ground, and most longtime Allen fans were discouraged at the director's inability to experiment or roll the dice and take a gamble on a formula he so effortlessly reworked with Annie Hall in 1977, another film focusing on an insecure and paranoid romance. People forgot that the director took the ground he had and danced on it gleefully, attempting to speak to a whole new generation about the long idea of being "in love," and how people sugarcoat their lives to believe they have everything figured out when they are too afraid to say they are helplessly lost in the woods of despair.The film focuses on Jerry Falk, played by Jason Biggs, an aspiring writer residing in New York City. Falk is dating the high-maintenance, frequently agonizing Amanda (Ricci) who consistently holds him back and keeps him cemented in a life where he is relentlessly unsatisfied. Jerry is self-aware about his problem and knows exactly what it is; he can't end anything. Once he starts, he is afraid to ruffle his sheets or make any attempt to rework his life. We all can relate in some way. It reminds me of a quote said by Jeff Anderson's Randal in Kevin Smith's Clerks. While talking to his buddy Dante about his current problems in life, Randal coldly but optimistically tells Dante "you need to s*** or get off the pot," meaning either act or move on. Make changes or stick with what you have. Jerry is stuck on the pot, wanting to s***, but ill-equipped.Jerry's best friend in New York is an older gentleman named David Dobel, played by Allen himself. Dobel is responsible for guiding Jerry through relationships and hardships keenly and calmly. He is very complex, always speaking with long, broad words and uttering quotes of various possible meanings. He isn't subtle, but his advice can usually be rendered simple if contemplated long enough. Both Dobel and Jerry engage in long walks through Central Park after every twenty minutes or so to discuss the events that just went by and try to work out a regular solution. Dobel consistently tells Jerry to leave Amanda for her oppressive nature, her overbearing nature, and her constant method of taking advantage of poor Jerry. Then comes the idea of Jerry not wanting to get off the pot or ruffle his feathers. Another problem comes into play; Jerry is constantly worried that Amanda has been unfaithful to him, by seeking out other men. The paranoia comes in boatloads.The story is basic, and Allen resorts back to using old morals and formulas he so openly manipulated years back. That's what a lot of people missed watching Anything Else. Its goal is to appeal and to inform a newer generation who has seen one too many cutesy, melodramatic romances. Allen's ability to create flawed characters and inject them with flaws and realism is one of the many reasons he remains un-malleable at the top of his game. I believe teenagers should see his works rather than overly cinematic Nicholas Sparks novels so genially rendered for the mainstream.Here's the personal connection I made with the film that you can feel free to discard. Anything Else showed me the long road I have ahead as an aspiring writer. The ups I will bask in and the downs I will wallow in. The enigmatic influences of my role models and the bitterness of my rivals. The conglomerate of romances I will encounter, some motivating me, others gridlocking me. Allen has opened two doors for me. The fluffy one and the one of harsh truth.Anything Else is wonderfully written and nicely conveyed, as a sweeping hundred and eight minutes race past. Biggs is strong as the archetypal Allen character, mainly portraying his insecure and pessimistic side, and Ricci's can sometimes be truly intolerable and we get a wonderful sense of sympathy after she is on screen for long periods of time. There is nothing wrong with a director, writer, or actor taking a walk down memory lane, or even reviving a formula for a new audience. Allen takes a daring leap of faith to not only construct a contemporary romance with his nostalgic values but also hardly even be shown to exist in the picture. The marketing method taken is truly insulting on his part.Starring: Jason Biggs, Christina Ricci, Woody Allen, Stockard Channing, Danny DeVito, Jimmy Fallon, and KaDee Strickland. Directed by: Woody Allen.

I was very surprised to see this in the theater after having seen the 6.4 score on IMDb. Maybe my expectations were way exceeded so I mistakenly think this is great, but I don't think that is the case. We had a great time-the movie was thoughtful, funny, ambiguous, thought-provoking, had great acting-about anything you could ask for from Woody Allen. Maybe I don't get out often enough but I laughed pretty hard at some of the jokes (once to tears) and walked away from this movie thinking a lot about life. Christina Ricci did a great job, rising to her potential. Allen also had one of the best roles I have seen him play in a long time. All I can imagine is that there are some people out there scoring subjectively(perhaps disappointed that this is not their favorite Woody Allen movie) and not in any absolute sense.