Anything Else

Director: Woody Allen

Cast: Woody Allen, Jason Briggs, Stockhard Channing, Danny DeVito, Jimmy Fallon, Christina Ricci

Genre: Romance/ Comedy 2003

Running time: 108 mins.

Rating:★★★★

Jerry Falk (Jason Biggs) is an aspiring writer living in New York City, who falls in love at first sight with Amanda (Christina Ricci) and begins having an affair. He eventually tells his girlfriend about it so that she will dump him, because Falk cannot end relationships. Seeking advice, Jerry turns to an aging struggling artist (Woody Allen) who acts as his oracle — and that includes trying to help sort out Jerry’s romantic life.

It wouldn't be a Woody Allen film, if there wasn't some  jazz, New York City, and  highly intelligent neurotic characters. What more could you ask for. Most of his films begin with a seemingly unrelated verbal story and a short monologue with the audience on how the main character got into his current situation. If you're still not convinced then Allen's role as one of the characters, how the dialogue is written, or the format of the opening, then I can't help ya. It's simply magnificent, because is done too often anymore, when some words of wisdom written on the screen before each new segment of the plot that not only gives a hint of what is about to unfold (similar to a chapter title in a novel), but also reminisces the silent pictures' era.

In this film, the couple, on their anniversary, recall how they first met. Of course, but not always, in true Woody Allen fashion, the two "lovebirds" are already in another relationship, have similar philosophical ideas and interests. Yet, they are still total opposites of one another. Jerry can't not be in a relationship and Amanda can't commit. They begin an affair nonetheless, filled with dark comedic ups and downs. The last lines wrap up the film perfectly, "How strange life is. How full of inexplicable mystery(Falk).....Well, you know. That's like anything else. (Cab driver)."