I'll Do Anything (1994) Reviews

• Typical James L. Brooks

  PeterJackson2000-07-14

  This movie has really got the "Brooks Touch" and that's a very good thing. I can't understand why this has got such a low ratings on the IMDB, or why it is so little known. Like AS GOOD AS IT GETS and the even better, but overall largely underrated TERMS OF ENDEARMENT, this again is a wonderful story about real people. And when Brooks is in the director's seat, you know this film isn't going to take the easy way. I can only recommend this movie, especially because of the many lovely moments and the excellent dialogue. My only complaint is that some of the dialogue is a bit too smart for its own good and that it doesn't always ring true. The actors are very good too, especially Nick Nolte, Joely Richardson and the young Whittni Wright(who is wonderful). They're not the really big names, like in the two aforementioned movies, but they did a very good job. Also look out for the character played by Albert Brooks, which is very familiar with Jack Nicholson's character in AS GOOD AS IT GETS. It almost seems a trademark of James L. Brooks, who keeps delivering the goods with his original and always fresh romantic comedies. Don't miss this one! 8/10

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• Irony Incarnate

  knightm72004-12-03

  This is a movie about making movies and standing up for your beliefs and not having to bow down under the pressures of audience expectations and studio involvements, and it had musical numbers which were cut and writers come in to dumb it down because of audience expectations and studio involvements. But I found all that out after I first saw the movie and thought it was great entertainment. I love Nick Nolte, he's so grave and gruff and depressed that I hope he doesn't kill himself cause I really like everything he's done, even The Hulk, and especially Affliction and that Martin Short with a kid movie. Joely Richardson is gorgeous! Julie Kavner and James Brooks are great. I highly recommend this film, and hope to see it again soon on DVD with all of the deleted scenes.

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• A dance without a song

  Prismark102014-01-10

  Writer & Director James L Brooks has a very sure touch when it comes to movies. I'll Do Anything was conceived as an old fashioned musical. A parody of actor's lifestyles and film clichés. Test audiences were not impressed with the film and at the time musicals were out of fashion. I presume the songs were actually rubbish which tends to be the case with a lot of musical films. Re-cut and re-edited, this is now a straight story with Nick Nolte, playing Matt Hobbs, a once promising actor who has not managed to get a regular acting gig in some time. He ends up driving around an arrogant film producer (Albert Brooks.) Things take a turn when his ex-wife dumps their daughter Jeannie on Matt for what he thinks is for a few weeks but turns out to be longer as she is off to jail. Matt's daughter is used to getting her own way and he is not used to fatherhood. Matt's career may have some brightness as he gets friendly with with an attractive production assistant (Joely Richardson) who has a script idea and thinks Matt could be the lead actor. The film was hampered from the start with its production troubles. Nick Nolte does well as a down on his luck actor with a brat of a daughter and trying to bond with her while dealing with machinations of the film industry. James L Brooks succeeded so well when he turned his eye on TV news with Broadcast News. The story here is not strong enough and although the actors try hard the film comes off as hollow.

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• Brooks' Bosses Decide To Not Do `Anything'

  tedg2002-07-19

  Spoilers herein. There's a remarkably intelligent film hidden in here. I love watching old Welles films and trying to imagine the parts that the studios hacked out. And so here. The original idea was to have a deeply self-aware film, moreso than `The Player.' It was to have leveraged the shift inherent in a film musical : at some times, the audience is invited to see the story as representative of life, and at other times as representative of a show. Brooks puts tons of this stuff in `The Simpsons' and one can see the notion in his other TeeVee projects as well. But as I gather, this was actually supposed to be intelligent. Prince at this point was into self-referential songs and apparently increased the folding of an already baroque structure of who's looking at who. But (as with Welles), the studio financiers thought the paying audience was too dumb for all that, so brought in script doctor Elaine May (She of `Ishtar,' but nonetheless famously valuable as an invisible fixer). She straightened this film out so that a moron could understand it. Now it is not about the film business, but an ordinary sop about a dad discovering his precocious daughter. But you can see the joints where clever stuff might have been and the notion that parenting is a performance. They have kept one memorable Nolte moment. He is preparing to transform to a role. Watch how he changes, and also plays the meta-actor managing that change, and at the same time plays Nolte creating all three. It is his finest moment on film. I wonder if we will ever see the original version? Ted's Rating -- 2 of 4: Has some interesting elements.

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• I LOVED THIS MOVIE

  renaldo and clara2000-09-07

  This is one of those 'greater than the sum of its parts' movie, where you can't quite put your finger on why it's so great, but it just is. The set of this movie must've motivated these actors to beyond their usual performances..........maybe because the script is so great(they all get their shots at character development..... I can think of 5.) There's Nick Nolte, I've never DISliked him, but his physique combined with his sweet fatherly attitude makes for the perfect combination; it makes him very attractive. Joely Richardson I've only seen in one other movie, but she keeps you interested in her character all the way through, however quirky, weird, or whimsical. Nolte's daughter (Wright) is SO believable as the spoiled little rich girl, brought up by man-hater Tracy Ullman (!)'s character as mom. The two other characters are supporting; one is that lady who does Marge Simpson's voice, and her love interest. All these characters develop and learn. This film also ironically gives insight into the film industry, and how truly unglamorous Hollywood can be. Nick Nolte must cry in a room full of people withOUT the director even being there, a group of ladies who work in casting are asked, when deciding yay-or nay on this actor, if they would sleep with him. But in the end, it stays true to its source, meaning it doesn't look completely down at Hollywood or anything else. It's just a really adorable feel-good movie. Did I mention adorable? -Sep

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