Jason
Biggs and Christina Ricci star as a mismatched couple in Woody Allen's
funny and well-made romantic comedy ANYTHING ELSE.
Biggs
plays Jerry Falk, a young comedy writer looking to make it big, while
Ricci is Amanda, a self-absorbed free spirit whom men go wild for.
They fall for each other instantly near the beginning of the film,
then spend the rest of the movie trying to work out their very complex
and complicated relationship, especially after her mother (Stockard
Channing) moves in to their small apartment to live with them.
With
echoes of such classic Allen fare as ANNIE HALL, ANYTHING ELSE is
a lighthearted look at young love in the Big Apple. Allen himself
stars as David Dobel, an older comedy writer who mentors Jerry, often
on walks through Central Park, but it seems that Dobel has a bit of
an anger management problem. Once again, New York City is virtually
a character unto itself, as Allen includes scenes in such Gotham places
as the Village Vanguard jazz club, Isabella's restaurant, Roosevelt
Island, Sheepshead Bay, and the Quad Cinema. Good supporting work
is turned in by Danny DeVito as Falk's manager. The soundtrack includes
songs by Billie Holiday, Ravi Shankar, Teddy Wilson, Lester Young,
Moby, and Diana Krall, who appears in the film.
