July 11, 2010
Whatever Works sees Woody Allen return to New York after a six-year hiatus and, overall, it’s a success. This clever comedy focuses on cynical Boris Yellnikoff, a former Physics professor with a failed marriage behind him and a hatred of life and its ‘inchworms’. Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David excellently portrays this hateful protagonist – one Allen himself would formerly have played – and Boris provides several of the many laugh-out-loud moments in the film.
Bitter Yellnikoff finds impressionable Melody, a young girl from Mississippi, in his stairwell and reluctantly takes her in. A surprising romance then develops between the two, reinforcing the key message that you have to do ‘whatever works’ to find happiness in this meaningless world. However, the arrival of Melody’s parents puts a spanner in the works and some interesting and humorous happenings ensue.
It is not only David’s acting that should be commended; Melody and her mother are also superbly played by Evan Rachel Wood and Patricia Clarkson respectively. The actors’ comic timing and witty exchanges are generally brilliant, though some of the scenes do seem a little rough and could perhaps have profited from a retake.
Whatever Works marks not only a return to the Big Apple, but also a return to an unusual stylistic device: Boris frequently addresses the camera directly, just as Allen himself did in Annie Hall. This can be slightly grating at first and some of his tirades last a little too long, but it ultimately serves as a useful tool for exploring the film’s key themes and allowing the audience an insight into Allen’s thought processes.
Though there are some flaws and some may find Allen’s depiction of both women and those from the Deep South offensive, overall Whatever Works is a very enjoyable film, both funny and thought-provoking.
Bitter Yellnikoff finds impressionable Melody, a young girl from Mississippi, in his stairwell and reluctantly takes her in. A surprising romance then develops between the two, reinforcing the key message that you have to do ‘whatever works’ to find happiness in this meaningless world. However, the arrival of Melody’s parents puts a spanner in the works and some interesting and humorous happenings ensue.
It is not only David’s acting that should be commended; Melody and her mother are also superbly played by Evan Rachel Wood and Patricia Clarkson respectively. The actors’ comic timing and witty exchanges are generally brilliant, though some of the scenes do seem a little rough and could perhaps have profited from a retake.
Whatever Works marks not only a return to the Big Apple, but also a return to an unusual stylistic device: Boris frequently addresses the camera directly, just as Allen himself did in Annie Hall. This can be slightly grating at first and some of his tirades last a little too long, but it ultimately serves as a useful tool for exploring the film’s key themes and allowing the audience an insight into Allen’s thought processes.
Though there are some flaws and some may find Allen’s depiction of both women and those from the Deep South offensive, overall Whatever Works is a very enjoyable film, both funny and thought-provoking.