Woody Allen

Anything Else – Woody Allen – 2003

«Last night I was home alone in my apartment and I conjured up a threesome with me, Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren, and it was very very erotic. As a matter of fact if I’m not mistaken, it was the first time those two great actresses ever appeared in anything together.» (Woody Allen)

Of all Woody Allen’s movies, few are more reviled than Anything Else. There are a lot of reasons to hate this movie, but it’s one that I’ve always been willing to bend over backwards trying to defend. I may not be able to convincingly call it a ‘good’ film, but it’s definitely an interesting one.

Anything Else bears an uncanny resemblance to Annie Hall, a point made in almost every contemporary review. Both movies are about a Jewish comedian’s relationship with a flakey wannabe-singer. The two films also share many smaller details — both tell their story out of chronological order, both end with a break-up, and both have a protagonist who talks directly to the camera.

Woody Allen’ s Best Movies

5. Broadway Danny Rose (1984)

4. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

3. Crimes and Misdemeanours (1989)

2. Annie Hall (1977)

1. Manhattan (1979)