Adam Mast is back, this time reviewing the Michael Caine weepy IS ANYBODY THERE?Is Anybody There? is an intimate little character study about a young boy (played by Bill Milner of Son of Rambow fame) growing up in an old folks home during the mid 80's. He strikes up a most unusual friendship with a crotchety old codger (played by the truly gifted Michael Caine) whose starting to show signs of dementia. Together, this seemingly odd couple become the best of friends.
The primary reason I wanted to see this film, aside from the fact that it has Michael Caine in it, is that it was directed by the underappreciated John Crowley. Crowley made the little seen Intermission back in 2003. If you haven't seen that picture, do yourself a favor and check it out.
Is Anybody There? has a lot going for it. It has a distinct British charm and the performances by Milner, Rosemary Harris, David Morrissey, Anne Marie-Duff, and, most notably, Michael Caine (who reportedly based his character off a friend who died of Alzheimer's), are all solid. I think where Is Anybody There? really suffers is in the pacing. There's just something a little bit off in terms of the rhythm here. Furthermore, the film comes in at a brief ninety five minutes. The bond that develops between Caine and Milner feels a tad slight for lack of development time and because of this, the ending of the movie doesn't quite resonate the way it should.
There are certainly moments to be found in this tender, feel good movie. In particular, I love Crowley's little homage to Back to the Future. Is Anybody There? also has an interesting view of life and death from decidedly different vantage points. In the end however, I expected a bit more from this film. Caine is sensational as is the rest of the cast but as a whole, Is Anybody There? does beg the question a bit too much.
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