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Reviews Counted:114
Fresh:75
Rotten:39
Average Rating:6.3/10
Consensus: Though Michael Caine gives an excellent performance, Is Anybody There? features a cliche-filled story that ultimately falters.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Jun 4, 2009 Wide
US Box Office: $1,988,165
Synopsis: Growing up and growing old never played so poignantly as it does in John Crowley’s IS ANYBODY THERE? The film grapples with the sad truths of getting older and losing loved ones, all the while... [More]
Starring: Michael Caine, Bill Milner, Anne-Marie Duff, David Morrissey
Director: John Crowley
It wants so badly to be meaningful, relevant and compassionate, but struggles even to keep our attention, never mind our hearts or minds. Not even Michael Caine's slowly sinking geriatric Clarence or affecting young Bill Milner can elevate the material.
Top CriticWith two direct and developed lead performances from Michael Caine and young Bill Milner, it seems unfair to watch their efforts wasted on an uneven, unsatisfying picture like the tear-jerker Is Anybody There?
Top CriticDirector John Crowley overestimates the comedic potential of daily life for the elderly and infirmed. Thankfully, the casual, unforced chemistry between Caine and Milner is strong enough to suppress Is Anybody There?’s cornie
Top CriticWeighed down by a surrounding air of quirkiness.
Top CriticThis well crafted film is given resonance and purpose with layers and layers of detail that make the bittersweet climax all the more heartwarming.
Top CriticCaine and Milner go together like peas in a pod. Or, better yet, like bangers and mash. They're an odd couple, but they face life as one and it's a rewarding journey.
Top CriticMichael Caine is always good company, but he’s been saddled with the role of a slightly pitiful man whose life has been wasted... despite generally good performances the narrative arc is pretty obvious from the start.
Top CriticIt's a film that serves as a poignant reminder of how quickly time passes.
Top CriticThis is a film that presses many emotional buttons. In many ways it is a really sad film and certainly one that needs a wad of tissues.
Top CriticEven when dealing with the supernatural, Caine is never less than a realist. Yet you can still see the boy in him. And in Milner, you can certainly see the man Edward will become.
Top CriticClick to read the article
Only the amusing attention to Eighties detail, such as Morrissey’s New Romantic mullet haircut, and an entertaining grumpy old man impression from Caine keep the film alive. But any laughs are drowned out by predictable melodrama.
It's a film to respect or admire from a distance, rather than like or, you know, actually enjoy.
At once predictable and implausible; so overplotted and overpopulated that the question isn't so much Is Anybody There? as "Why on earth are so many bodies here?"
Crowley is heading for a note of sympathy with this stuttering tale of universal heartache, but without needed substance and focus, there's nothing to emotionally devour.
Top CriticWorking from a screenplay by Peter Harness, director John Crowley elicits strong performances and conjures a realistic atmosphere. But the story is predictable.
Unfortunately, nothing else in Is Anybody There? quite equals the main performances. There are nice moments throughout, but it meanders a bit. We learn a little about the other residents, but not enough to invest emotionally.
It's amiable and inoffensive, and Caine gives one of his most charming performances as the curmudgeonly conjuror; but I fear that in cinemas this is going to perform an all too rapid disappearing act.
There doesn't seem to be any real purpose to telling this story. It doesn't enlighten us on the tasks of growing up or of growing old.
Uttered by both characters at various times, the film’s title is meant to evoke fears of a finite world. If you didn’t know better, you’d swear they were asking about the state of the theater.
April 16, 2009:
Critics Consensus: 17 Again Is Sweet And Poignant
This week at the movies, we've got a high school do-over (17 Again, starring Zac Efron and Leslie Mann), some journalistic thrills (State of Play, starring Russell Crowe and... More...
April 01, 2009:
Michael Caine Talks Batman 3 
Michael Caine is out promoting his latest feature, "Is Anybody There," but he's perfectly willing to share his thoughts on the next "Batman" sequel -- fortunately for Collider,... More...
March 22, 2009:
Click for trailer and preview
More...
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