Absolutely Anything

Absolutely Anything

In Terry Jones’ “Absolutely Anything,” four aliens who are quick on the draw decide to entrust the fate of Earth or, rather, whether it’s worth obliterating to the conscience of one man. And if he chooses to do good with his newfound ability to do whatever he wants for a limited period of time, then all will be well. The extraterrestrials are voiced by Monty Python members Jones, John Cleese, Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam although it’s telling that the last line of this movie (which is like a fun-size portion of brain candy from a delightfully silly filmmaker) comes from Billy Wilder’s gravestone: “Nobody’s perfect.”

The schmo whom they pick is Simon Pegg’s Neil, a teacher and struggling writer. But Jones and co-writer Gavin Scott quickly give him ultimate power; all Neil has to do is wave his hand. He begins figuring things out after he wisecracks in the teachers’ lounge about wanting aliens to destroy his classroom full of unruly students only to have a laser beam level the room and every young person within it. Neil connects some dots during some contrived dialogue, discovers what he can do, wonders what he should do next with that knowledge and there you have “Absolutely Anything.” Simple as that. A little messy too. But decorated with enough big laughs born of an insane imagination.

If you’re thinking “Bruce Almighty,” well, so am I but remember how Jim Carrey had control over everything except free will? Jones takes that idea one odd step further: What if Bruce were allowed not just His power but also His limits? No one here can make anyone fall in love with them; people cannot be turned into creatures they are not; no one wins the lottery or gets superpowers beyond their control.

The only wish fulfillment involves Neil pushing buttons and making things happen. Yet the results, as he goes along for the most part unaware of his abilities or their scope, are funny especially in regard to how literal they can be. There’s a great running gag about Neil’s friend Ray (Sanjeev Bhaskar) getting his wish that a co-worker “worship” him, only to have an office romance blossom into a full-blown religion.

Rather than force Catherine (Kate Beckinsale) to fall for him à la “The Love God?” with Don Knotts, Neil uses his powers as subtly as possible while still trying to win her heart. But she winds up becoming closer to a prize than a person; in addition to Rob Riggle’s aggressively American character being madly in love with her and Riggle is very funny here she herself has near-zero comic potential. It seems like she should have more than this movie allows.

Neil’s attempts at wooing Catherine become increasingly half-baked and overly complicated (which is par for both romantic comedies and movies about characters who can do anything but never know just what until it’s too late). Eventually Neil remembers that he can make Dennis talk and think like a human which convinces Catherine there must be another man in Neil’s apartment who really wants to shag Dennis’ leg, because who wouldn’t? (Also: The dog is voiced by Robin Williams.)

Jones takes the blank canvas of his premise and fills it with vibrant sight gags: A whiskey bottle rolls down the street toward a liquor store so it can be replaced with one that hasn’t been emptied yet; every inch of Neil’s classroom is covered in flowers; police officers wear pink uniforms. It’s an R-rated movie with the bright colors of one made for children, which suits Jones fine. That said, there is darkness beneath the silliness here and a morality that gets fitfully messy. “Absolute power doesn’t corrupt,” Neil says at one point, in one of the script’s numerous pointed lines. “It just drives you bloody mad.”

But the best part of “Absolutely Anything” is the tension over the wishes Neil doesn’t make.

He doesn’t think beyond his own problems until the third act, essentially proving the aliens right that apathy can be harmful enough, even if humans don’t directly choose to be evil. Yet as Jones builds a narrative based on his clumsy wishes and their select consequences, the craftiness is a brighter quality than direct moralizing.

Instead of the movie seeming like a puppet show with a message, Pegg gives the wacky scenario a first-person perspective and vital humanity. He’s a key part of the enjoyment, whether you are meant to laugh, think or feel something. Pegg brings his high energy and everyman quality that has worked in so many films (even when he was the best part about them), and becomes a strong surrogate for an experience beyond comprehension.

It’s not a major role for his filmography but it does prove that he is without a doubt a major comedic actor, one who can create an arc out of someone gradually realizing God-like potential, but keep them grounded every step of the way.

John Malkovich plays supreme being slash narrating alien who gifts Pegg with ultimate power. And though this movie might seem like another episode of television series “The Twilight Zone” which could have been titled “The Duskish Hour: One Day In London” it isn’t just because they’re both anthologies or because they’re both about supernatural forces granting people whatever they desire most.

“Absolutely Anything” comes with more baggage than just featuring the last performance by Williams it was released in the UK two years ago, and is the last new project we’ll see from Jones as he was diagnosed with a rare dementia in 2015. None of those were factors I thought too much about, however, while watching the film. “Absolutely Anything” is more than its unique place in history, and serves to remind us that no one made movies for goofy adults quite like Jones did.

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