Absolutely Anything
Short description
A group of aliens travels the universe testing civilizations by granting one individual unlimited power. If that person uses the power well, the species is spared; if not, it is destroyed. On Earth, the test falls to Neil Clarke, a disillusioned schoolteacher whose life has stalled: his students run roughshod over him and his feelings for his downstairs neighbour, Catherine, go unnoticed by her. The aliens give him the ability to make anything he wants happen, and the fate of humanity rests on how he chooses to use it.
This British science fiction comedy was directed by Terry Jones, who co-wrote the screenplay with Gavin Scott. It comes well along in Jones's directing career; he had previously made Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian, Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, Personal Services and Erik the Viking, and this was the latest of the films he directed. Simon Pegg plays Neil, with Kate Beckinsale as Catherine and Sanjeev Bhaskar, Rob Riggle, Robert Bathurst and Eddie Izzard among the credited cast of fifty-eight. It was produced by Bill Jones and Ben Timlett for Phoenix Pictures and Bill and Ben Productions.
The film took about 6 million dollars worldwide, a modest return for a wide cast and premise. On IMDb it holds 6 out of 10 from roughly 54,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 5.9 out of 10 from around 1,700 votes, so audience response is lukewarm rather than hostile. Critics were harsher: a critics' rating of 3.9 out of 10 from 45 reviews places it well below what viewers gave it.
What's left behind the scenes
- Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal, who play Ray and Fiona, are married. This is far from the first comedy in which they have starred together.
- Robin Williams stated in a 2009 interview that he had always dreamed of appearing in a film with Simon Pegg.
- To get the dog to look at Neil, actor Simon Pegg attached a sausage to his head.
- The film's musical theme is performed by Kylie Minogue.
- Filming took place mostly in an abandoned school that had been converted into a soundstage. Not only school scenes were filmed here, but also episodes in Neil's apartment and at the cemetery. As someone from the crew remarked: "Just like 'Pinewood Studios,' only in miniature."
- The roles of Neil and Catherine were originally intended for Benedict Cumberbatch and Gemma Arterton.
- This is Robin Williams's final role. The film was released a year after the actor's death.
- Terry Jones admitted that Herbert Wells's story "The Man Who Could Work Miracles" had a huge influence on him while writing the script.
- Judy Lou, Kate Beckinsale's mother, played a small role in the film.
- The topic of the lesson that Simon Pegg’s character teaches in high school is Shakespeare’s play "The Winter’s Tale." In the film "Armageddon" (2013), Pegg’s character recalls studying "The Winter’s Tale" in school.
- This is the first film since the comedy musical “The Meaning of Life” (1983) to feature all five currently living members of the “Monty Python” troupe. Director Terry Jones suggested that this was the last time they would perform together.
- When the aliens first appear in the film, crashed spaceships can be seen in the background. The one at the very top can be identified as the spaceship from the comedy "Monty Python's Life of Brian" (1979), in which Brian escaped from Roman guards.
- This is director Terry Jones' first film in 19 years.
- Terry Jones played the truck driver who runs over Neil at the beginning of the film.
- Terry Jones and Gavin Scott began working on the script in the early 1990s. In an interview in 2014, Jones stated that he showed the script to the famous science fiction writer Douglas Adams, who found the scenes with the dog Dennis to be "the funniest."
- Simon Pegg loves dogs. He worked wonderfully with Mojo, the dog playing his dog named Dennis.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
