Anything Can Happen

"Anything Can Happen" is a cute story that is about a group of immigrants from the country of Georgia and, in particular, it focuses on Giorgi Papashvily (José Ferrer). The story begins with Giorgi arriving in the USA in New York, like so many other immigrants. He has made a Turkish friend along the way (Kurt Kasznar) but he's anxious to meet up with 'Uncle' John...a family friend who has hasn't seen in many, many years. He cannot locate him for some time but later, when he does, he finds he's pretty much adopted by Uncle John's household. To them, ANY Georgian is family! An, at first, the family wants to find Giorgi a nice Georgian wife. But when they learn that he's smitten with an American (Kim Hunter), they go into matchmaking mode!

This is a nice slice of life film...much like "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", though with a bit less emphasis on romance. It's very sweet and enjoyable (I particularly like the citizenship portion at the end) and is a nice look at what the immigrant experience was like back in the day. My only complaint, and it certainly does NOT ruin the film is that, at times, the characters are a tiny bit broad and silly. A big more restraint would have made for a better overall film...though it's still well worth seeing. Plus, any film with Ferrer (with the exception of "Dune") is well worth your time!

This is an OK movie. Jose Ferrer plays the Georgian immigrant, George Papashvili whose book, 'Anything Can Happen,' is a classic story of an immigrant adjusting to life in the United States. The book has a charm that this movie doesn't approach. Too bad, as the cast was competent. Kim Hunter and Jose Ferrer don't really create much spark and even Oscar Beregi's character, the chef, dzea Vanno 'Uncle John,' falls a little flat. Ferrer does well, as he always did, playing the Georgian and even sings a charming little song. I might disabuse the other reviewer's confusion by noting that the Georgians are not Slavs (which term is usually reserved for Slovenians) but representatives of a totally unrelated culture living in the Caucasus mountains in Asia Minor. They are a fascinating people and Papashvili's book relates some wonderful experiences here in this new land. Unfortunately, the movie only gives us a sweet little romance but, I guess that's all Hollywood wanted at that time.

Before I go to the review I have to confess that I heard about this movie for the first time in 2016 thanks to a still from this movie posted on a movie website. When I found this movie a while ago I was curious since it looked like a comedy, but as the movie progressed it releaved to be a drama based on an autobiography. So I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it. Now I can go to the review.

When the movie begins, Giorgi Papashvily (Josè Ferrer) arrives to the Us and arranges for various jobs on New York's lower East Side. He is helped by his traveling companion Nuri (Kurt Kasznar) who is more fluent in English. Since Giorgi never spoke a word of English even before arriving in the Us, he lives with some fellow Georgians and practises diction at home. After a mistake which makes him end in court, he is found innocent and befriends Helen Watson (Kim Hunter), a cute-looking journalist who was assigned to his case. What follows are some scenes of immigrants' life-styles, some encounters between Giorgi and Helen and some discussions with her relatives, and as you might expect, true love will find its way.

The performances are nice by the leads (Ferrer, Kasznar and Hunter) and the supporting actors are all funny sidekicks that add a lot to the comedic pacing of the movie. It's also one of those movies about immigrants that doesn't insult immigrants themselves, so it's not that offensive. And I have to admit that is a rather forgotten movie despite it stars freshly Academy Award winners Josè Ferrer (who won in 1950 for CYRANO DE BERGERAC) and Kim Hunter (who won in 1952 for A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE).

I highly recommend this ''dramedy'' and, if you are in the right mindset, you'll like it very much.

The great José Ferrer showed audiences his comical side in the bittersweet Anything Can Happen. He plays a Georgian immigrant, and he's just adorable. The opening scene shows Joe's boat pulling into Ellis Island, and as he gazes at the Statue of Liberty, he practices a basic English phrase. "How...are..." (he sneaks another peek at the guidebook) "...you?" he asks the statue before tipping his hat. It's so cute! Kurt Kazner helps him get through immigration and shows him the ropes in America, from helping him learn English to getting him started in business.

He soon meets Kim Hunter, a sweet girl with an interest in local, international folk songs. Joe sings a bit for her, and before he knows it, they're developing a friendship and including each other in meals and get-togethers. Joe's falling in love with her, but in Kim's mind, he's just a dear friend. However, in America, anything can happen.

Although this movie is a cute comedy with a sweet little romance thrown in, there is some drama thrown in there. For one, the love story is unrequited, and for another, the path to American citizenship is fraught with obstacles. It's not an easy journey for Joe, but he's determined and works hard even when he gets pushed two steps backwards.

Kurt has a very funny lesson to teach Joe one day when they're discussing the dough in their bakery. Joe pronounces it the right way, but Kurt corrects him: "When meat is hard to eat, is called 'tuff'. How you spell? ... When ocean's up and down, is called 'ruff'. How you spell? ... And flour and yeast is spelled D-O-U-G-H. So, is 'duff'." It's an adorable explanation that makes total sense to non-native English speakers. And when native English speakers really think about it, they'll realize how difficult their language is for others to learn. I'd recommend this movie for those who find immigration movies endearing, or if you've just watched 1952's Moulin Rouge and want to see Joe's versatility.

Charming warm tale about the quirky relationship between an immigrant and an all-american folk music fan.

It is initially hard to accept Jose Ferrer playing a Slav, but this becomes less of a concern pretty soon. The characterizations are sincere, and the story takes several unpredictable turns, confirming the intention of the title. The story does suffer under the burden of American triumphalism, though this is only a minor detail.

This is no tale of grand passion. The heroine complains that, though she likes the hero and he adores her, it isn't much more than that. "He doesn't give me a chill up my spine", she moans. Her aging and ill grandmother retorts "You can get that from a cold shower".

The grandmother has the standout part among the supporting cast. Which is really saying something, as it is a ripper bunch of great actors, who paint a lovely tableau of mad Georgian (former USSR, not American South) community life. The grandmother stands out mainly because she is given all the best lines, such as the one above.

There is warmth between the two leads. Not too much. Just the right amount, to fit in with the moral of the film ("settling for second best can always turn out well").

I particularly liked the handling of the immigrants adjusting to their new life, and their attempts to deal with the quirks of the English language are handled with warmth and empathy while still being very funny.

Overall, a nice and highly enjoyable film.