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Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Henry Cavill

An eccentric New Yorker (Larry David) abandons his upper class life to lead a more bohemian existence. He meets a young girl from the south and her family, and no two people seem to get along in the e...( read more  read more... )ntanglements that follow.

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PG-13, 1 hr. 32 min.

Directed by: Woody Allen

Release Date: June 19, 2009

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DVD Release Date: October 27, 2009

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  • sononothing
    November 14, 2009
    sononothing
    Whatever Works follows the life of Boris Yellnikoff (Larry David), a genius physicist who blows all that stuff off to teach kids how to play chess and spread the good will of his philosophy to the masses. Cynical to the extreme. One night while returning to his ram shackled apart...( read more)ment he stumbles on a Southern teenager living on the streets named Melodie (Evan Rachel Wood), who Boris reluctantly helps and develops into a disciple of his own Borisology. Of course, the two end up falling in love and getting married with the most shocked party being Boris himself. The problems arise when Boris' new in-laws that are obviously of the red state mentality are thrust into the way of life in NYC- and make Boris' life a living hell.

    Whatever Works represents a turning point in Woody Allen's career. The film breathes like some of his best stuff from the '70's and '80's, but he's realized one important fact- he is too old to play himself anymore. Boris is so blatantly Allen that it should be announced before the film that "the role usually reserved for Woody Allen will tonight be played by Larry David. You can obviously hear these lines come from Woody Allen's mouth ten or fifteen years ago. Larry David fills in fine and seems to know when to let his inner Woody come out and when to pull a Costanza.

    The rest of the cast is very good with Wood playing the naive southern belle up for all its worth, giving a comedic turn that I haven't seen from her. Patricia Clarkson plays Melodie's mother who succumbs to the "hedonism" of New York City and instead of making dinners for her husband (an awesome Ed Begley, Jr.) decides to become a photographer and enter into a relationship where she lives with two men. That damn NYC!

    Whatever Works is a Woody Allen movie. love him or hate him, he makes a good movie here or there. This isn't one of his greatest films, but it's definitely not one of the worst and has some very funny moments, usually coming from Boris' mouth. Being your typical Allen movie the characters go through a series of hellish, obscure, defining events, but in the end there's a moral to the story that you can either take with you or send off to neuron oblivion.
  • DrZeek
    November 12, 2009
    DrZeek
    Marietta: How'd he get that limp?
    Melodie St. Ann Celestine: He jumped out the window and his suicide didn't work.
    Marietta: You can't win 'em all.

    Woody Allen returns to New York after a few stints over in Europe. Working from a screenplay he wrote back in the 70s with Ze...( read more)ro Mostel in mind for the lead, it has been reworked a bit and now has Larry David in the lead, as the Woody Allen character. I wasn't a fan of the framing device used for the film, with David breaking the fourth wall, but for the most part, the film had a very classic Allen feel to it, good use of character actors, and a number of good zingers.

    David stars as Boris Yelnikoff, an eccentric, bitter chess teacher from Greenwich Village. A few years ago, he wakes up in the middle of the night with a panic attack and jumps out the window, but lands on a canopy and survives with only a marked limp. He soon divorces his wife and virtually secludes himself from the world, criticizing everyone he meets for not having his level of intellect.

    One night, he finds a young woman, Melody played by Evan Rachel Wood, from Mississippi lying on his doorstep. He takes her in for the night and eventually marries her, despite their 40 year age difference and their clashing cultural backgrounds. His philosophy on the matter is that life is short so he might as well enjoy himself.

    Eventually, Boris' happy mold is broken once Melody's parents, played by Patricia Clarkson and Ed Begley Jr., track her down and one by one come to Boris' door, only to discover New York living for themselves.

    John: [as he kneels down to pray] Lord I've sinned, please forgive me!
    Boris Yellnikoff: Why do all the religious psychotics wind up praying in my doorstep?

    I think the cast of this movie is very good. David in the Allen role, works for me. I could use less of his direct to camera tirades against everything, but the way the Melody character counter-balances this aspect certainly helps.

    All the Allen trademarks are here, including the use of jazz and classical music, characters with smart, analytical dialog, despite there personas, as well as using New York culture as a setting and source of character transformation. All this being said, the film does become a bit sitcomy once the parents arrive, especially Begely Jr (as much as I like seeing him in things).

    Still, the movie is entertaining and humorous, which is what I wanted and what works.

    Boris Yellnikoff: That's why I can't say enough times, whatever love you can get and give, whatever happiness you can filch or provide, every temporary measure of grace, whatever works.
  • johnd62
    November 1, 2009
    johnd62
    You know what the biggest issue with Woody Allen comedies in the last 10 years? Its the male lead, they are written to be so distinctly Woody that there is just something strange and uncomfortable about watching anyone else take that role.
    While Larry David seems to be a perfect...( read more) fit for a Woody Allen comedy, you still feel as though Woody really misses the 70s in "Whatever Works", his first New York comedy in 5 years. What should have been a match made in comedic neurotic, Jewish stereotype heaven turns into a so-so comedy that should have been a lot better.
    For the record I love "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and Larry David in it but simply put part of the appeal of Curb is that it never asks you to think of Larry David as anything more then a socially inept ass, here David is a socially inept ass that were suppose to like... I'm sure he's a nice guy in real life but likable Larry David is like catching your parents making out, you just get really uncomfortable watching it all go down.
    Though to be fair even if David was playing to his strength, this script was on the back burner for 30 years! While it has its moments of charm and humor, you can see why. I know it may be unfair to compare this with "Annie Hall" or "Manhattan" but its hard not to expect more after those masterpieces.
    That's not to say that the film does not also include the strengths of Woody Allen, as usual Allen is amazing with his female cast, Evan Rachel Wood brings an amazing ray of sunshine to a fairly cynical attitude and even if he is not in top form, Allen is still a sharper satirist then the majority of writers out there. That there are certainly some moments in "Whatever Works" that shows what our parents saw in Woody Allen to begin with.
    If the film was better constructed and more selective in it editing and style, we could have had a masterpiece but sadly by just putting whatever into the film and only about 50% work. (Man, I'm witty)
  • mrpopcorn
    October 29, 2009
    mrpopcorn
    "Why do all the religious psychotics wind up praying in my doorstep?"

    Boris Yellnikoff rants to anyone who will listen, including the audience. But when he begrudgingly allows naive Mississippi runaway Melodie St. Ann Celestine to live in his apartment, his reclusive rage...( read more)s give way to an unlikely friendship and Boris begins to mold the impressionable young girl's worldly views to match his own.

    REVIEW

    Whatever Works is Woody Allen's umpteenth film as director. Boris has an acerbic personality that really turns out to be a perfect match for the character he plays and for the world view Allen wants to show. Bitterness, paranoia and an amused fatalism make David's performance absolutely perfect, show him really comfortable in the Woody Allen role, and overall make him believable. Whatever Works takes a serious downturn when the focus drifts from Boris and moves elsewhere, on Melodie's mother and later on her father John. These awakenings (the film is to be watched to understand why they woke up..) of two southern conservatives in New York are extremely funny but also "a bit" earnest. Whatever Works might seem familiar but has found a winning formula that makes it different from other Allen's works. A must see movie for sure.
  • PvtCaboose91
    October 15, 2009
    PvtCaboose91
    "Whatever love you can get and give. Whatever happiness you can provide. Every temporary measure of grace. Whatever works."


    "Vintage Woody Allen" would be the most appropriate label for 2009's Whatever Works, because that's never been truer. Woody initially wrot

    ...( read more)e this film back in 1977 as a vehicle for Zero Mostel, but the screenplay was set aside when Mostel inconsiderably died before the film could be made. However when Woody's one-movie-a-year output was placed in jeopardy by a threatened actor's strike and he needed a movie ready to go sooner than usual, he resurrected the old script and gave it a quick rewrite. Whatever Works marks the writer-director's return to New York City following several filmmaking endeavours in Europe, and it features a number of his touchstones: the philosophising of Annie Hall, the misanthropy of Deconstructing Harry, and the customary old man/young lover theme present in a lot of Woody's prior films. A familiarity that clouds the entire enterprise notwithstanding, this typically Woody-esque, comical mediation on human existence and love is the filmmaker's most effective and hilarious comedy in years (the fact that Woody wrote this film around the same time as Annie Hall probably has something to do with that).


    Whatever Works opens brilliantly with Boris Yellnikoff (David) breaking the fourth wall (a typical Woody Allen technique) as he addresses the camera to introduce his narrative. However this isn't an aside; Boris is doing it in the middle of New York City in full view of bystanders. His friends think he has utterly lost it, especially when he explains that they are in fact being watched by thousands of people in theatres. This technique begins the film with an easy charm; a sly smile in the audience's direction.
    Boris is an adamant misanthropist who bad-mouths children, shows little patience for anyone, and even insults the most inoffensive individuals who cross his path (perceiving them as imbecilic simpletons of inferior intellect). He also impresses his ideologies on religion, relationships and the randomness of existence upon anyone willing to listen. But when Boris begrudgingly allows naïve Mississippi runaway Melodie St. Ann Celestine (Wood) into his apartment, his reclusive rage gives way to an unlikely friendship.


    Amidst this narrative, there are talky conversations at landmarks and outdoor cafés; all taking place in the New York City that Woody Allen has celebrated throughout his career. The time of separation away from his native Manhattan (during which he worked in London and Spain) has reinvigorated his work - there's a great sense of liveliness and spirit. It's a joy to see the filmmaker back in this territory. However, Whatever Works is far from flawless - in between the one-liners and witty dialogue, the narrative odds and ends of the film feel perfunctory, even resigned. The second half of the movie (full of reunions and subplots to extend the runtime) isn't as well-paced as the blisteringly hilarious, rapid-fire first half. In addition, the movie's philosophy may be about life being full of surprises, but Allen's recent output is only rarely surprising. Whatever Works reinforces the notion that the writer-director's creative well has run dry; his films now either spectacles featuring attractive characters in foreign locales (like 2008's Vicky Cristina Barcelona) or comedic larks in which notable names embody the archetypal Woody Allen role. These criticisms notwithstanding, his latest efforts are still entertaining, and with the comfortable space he's created for himself he can just get on with being Woody Allen without fretting (ironically).


    Interestingly, the three decades have been kind to Woody's script for Whatever Works. It's just as funny - maybe even funnier - as it would've been back in 1977, and it feels more audacious and relevant in 2009. As a matter of fact, much of what makes the film seem daring is as a result of the passage of time. The elements guaranteed to startle in 2009 - a ménage à trois, a homosexual awakening, the generally irreligious tone - would be far less shocking to a '70s audience. The fact that Allen presents these in a matter-of-fact, offhanded manner reflects the earlier era, making them more provocative all these decades later. Since Whatever Works is a dosage of old-school Allen, the dialogue is boundlessly witty and there are some killer one-liners. Boris' diatribes are hysterical; the best Woody has written for years (once again coming back to the fact that the material was written in the '70s). Probably the most note-worthy aspect of Whatever Works is that it's one of Allen's most optimistic films about life and love to date.


    Curb Your Enthusiasm comedian Larry David is an excellent Boris Yellnikoff. David was a natural to play the "Woody Allen role", and he handles himself excellently; making his character appealing and tolerable without diluting his nasty side. According to Allen, Boris is an extreme exaggeration of his feelings - to that end, David's gleeful portrayal of the unyielding misanthrope is more savage and belligerent than Woody has even been. Boris' omnipotent contempt is nothing new, but the mean-spirited ferocity is. The 74-year-old Allen could have probably pulled off the character, yet it still works with a surrogate. As a side note, there are lines delivered by Larry David that Zero Mostel might have gotten more comedic mileage out of.
    David receives solid support from Evan Rachel Wood (previously seen in 2008's The Wrestler), who manages to make her role of Melodie dopey and callow but not grating or obvious. The actress disappears into the role of the Southern dumbbell to the extent that she's almost unrecognisable. Patricia Clarkson (who starred in Woody's 2008 project Vicky Cristina Barcelona) shines as Marietta, while Ed Begley Jr. and Henry Cavill fulfil their functions in the story terrifically.


    Curiously, the predominantly negative reviews for Whatever Works gripe about the fact that Boris is "too unlikeable" or "unsympathetic". These critics are missing the point entirely. It's no accident that (as the familiar old record for the opening credits) Allen chose Groucho Marx singing Hello, I Must Be Going; the character of Boris Yellnikoff is the same type of sharp-witted, bitter grouser that Groucho used to portray. Despite this, Groucho was a comedian and, as often noted, a huge influence on Allen. Did anyone complain about Groucho playing a quick-witted con man who insulted everyone in sight? No, because he was funny. So is Boris Yellnikoff. So is Whatever Works to a tremendous degree. While a viewer may be left with a lingering sense of déjà vu during the movie, this is a fun and funny sit-down; a nourishing dose of old-school Woody Allen ladled on top of a New York that, after all these years, still needs him.
  • Poek
    November 22, 2009
    Poek
    Weer een leuke van Woody Allen :)
  • pjcardo
    November 18, 2009
    pjcardo
    É a história de um cientista outrora candidato ao Nobel, Boris Yellnikoff, que vive alegremente só em Nova Iorque após um divórcio, desprezando quase tudo e todos, convencido que só a sua mente iluminada conhece o sentido da vida, da mecânica quântica e da importância de viver na...( read more) sua bolha organizada, meticulosa e pouco sociável.
  • mrbuckethead34
    November 17, 2009
    mrbuckethead34
    havent seen much of allens movies cause he kinda annoys me but larry david worked for me, hes better in curb tho. nice movie.
  • paulanthonynelson
    November 16, 2009
    paulanthonynelson
    Woody back on home turf, in NYC, with self-aggrandising intellectuals and sweet-natured rubes embroiled in dysfunctional relationships, but this finds Woody in an unusually optimistic mood. Great fun, with killer one-liners and a great cast. LD is a dream substitute for WA.
  • ratschella
    November 15, 2009
    ratschella
    "God is gay, he's a decorator"
    Not the best Woody Allen I've seen, but not bad.

View All Whatever Works Reviews

Critic Reviews

July 3, 2009
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Whatever Works isn't topnotch Woody Allen, but it's still immensely funny. full review

June 25, 2009
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Larry David is the mind of the enterprise, and Evan Rachel Wood is the heart. full review

June 19, 2009
Pete Hammond, Hollywood.com

Woody Allen and Larry David! What could be better than this dream team? full review

June 19, 2009
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

A belabored trifle that's occasionally amusing but often just bewildering, beginning with the movie's intentionally outlandish setup. full review

June 19, 2009
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

My problem with Whatever Works is not that the premise is a wee bit familiar. Rather, it's that the delivery is off. full review

June 19, 2009
Kurt Loder, MTV

"Whatever Works" isn't a good Woody Allen movie, even by latter-day standards. It is, however, a surprisingly offensive Woody Allen movie. full review

June 18, 2009
Claudia Puig, USA Today

One would think Allen had worked though his on-screen fascination with the older man-young girl scenario by now. This latest exploration just feels derivative and musty. full review

June 18, 2009
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Whatever Works feels like something out of time and, worse, out of step. full review

June 17, 2009
Armond White, The New York Press

Ten years after his great expectoration of bile in Deconstructing Harry, Woody Allen comes up with Whatever Works -- the most shameless, cynically titled Hollywood con job since the days of Billy Wilder. full review

June 15, 2009
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker

This is pretty broad stuff, but Clarkson is so much more vital and amiable than anyone else that you instantly root for her. full review

View more Whatever Works reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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