Genres

Visitors Review

Susan Granger 2012-05-21 13:28:28

Larry David makes a terrific alter-ego for Woody Allen in this familiar farce, advocating a non-judgmental attitude about the diverse choices people make to find happiness.

Cinemadharma 2012-05-20 20:56:20

Enjoyable, but frustratingly maddening.

Overall, the film is enjoyable for die-hard Woody Allen and/or LarryDavid fans, which I am. But when it comes down to it, my largestcomplaint is that the genius pairing of Larry & Woody should havebrought out the best of both of them, instead it lacks the snappy paceand spontaneous feel that I have come to expect from the best of theirwork.Truth is, I identified a bit too much with this film, so I found myselfbecoming more upset with the situations and characters as the filmprogressed. Of particular frustration for me had to do with Woody notonly allowing Melody's (Evan Rachel Wood) mother (Patricia Clarkson,who gives the performance most befitting a Woody Allen comedy) to getaway with interfering with her relationship with Larry David's Boris...but has Boris suddenly reverse his curmudgeonly ways as he happily goesalong with the messed up resolution orchestrated by Melody'soverbearing mom.Again... perhaps if I didn't identify so much with this situation, Iwouldn't of had such a problem with this aspect, but somehow I doubtit.

2012-05-11 02:39:45

Fun To Watch

I am a big fan of 1970s Woody Allen. I, however, don't like his 1980s or 90s movies at all but this is a different film. And me thinks this new movie (whatever works) is a right step in the vintage Woody Allen direction. There are a few instances of mediocre acting (the scene where mother of the child rushes into cafe to argue with Boris about her kid's mistreatment by Boris). In any event, I hope he makes more movies like this one. Also, aside from a few anti-American slanders on race and religion, I enjoyed the movie and its message. If you want a few genuine laughs, get this movie and watch it. 4/5

Joe Baltake 2012-05-10 05:12:20

Woody's latest shrewdly upends the filmmaker's own comic pessimisms

2012-05-08 02:09:01

Great movie!

I found this movie amusing and refreshing. It comes from an intelligent point of view, but without being like one of those horrible, pretentious, stupid movies that the film critics praise. I loved it when Boris (a genius) insults average/stupid people and christians. I love how this movie promotes atheism. I think it's very stupid to believe in a god. I have a very high IQ also. I've always been surrounded by idiots and I frequently resent that. This is actually the only Woody Allen movie I've ever enjoyed. He normally makes stupid little awful movies that the critics love and that I hate. I can't get enough of Larry David. He's what made this movie good. I've seen every episode of Curb your Enthusiasm and now I'm watching all the Seinfeld episodes. I hope Larry David will make many more movies. I hope he makes some really big, successful comedies and not just do small movies such as this one. I don't care if you don't like my review.

David Tuck 2012-05-07 15:15:04

It's a shame..

About three minutes into Larry David's opening monologue I startedchecking my watch...and I didn't stop.Much has been made of the fact this was written in 1977, the year Jawscame out and cinema changed forever. But not Mr. Allen. The openingspeech is four minutes long and kinda dull. Comedy doesn't look orsound like this anymore. Inchworm ? Really, as an insult in 2009 ? Notjust a lyric from a Danny Kaye movie.I remember loving Manhattan, but being puzzled about a forty year oldguy dating a seventeen year old year [ was that illegal in the US atthe time ? ] but assumed it was a writer examining an unusualrelationship.Then his private life became very public, and it just started to looklike he genuinely believed it was okay.Here is another toe curling example of a beautiful young girl [ 21]falling for an old man [ Larry David is 62 and looks it ]. Yes, whatyoung girls really like is being taught how great the past was and howeverything that's modern is rubbish. Music and movies that Woody lovedwhen he was 21 , he reveries as untouchable icons . Everything elsesucks.Shameful and embarrassing . It was not a surprise to see that Woody hassigned the petition to release Roman Polanski.Worst of all, and this really is unforgivable, he steals a joke. InParenthood [ 1989 ]written by Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel. KeanuReeves character says something like 'You need a licence for a car, youneed a licence to own a dog but anyone idiot can have kids...' Nearenough the same line appears at 01.01.00 into the movie. When Woody Allen steals from Babaloo, you know something is amiss.

2012-05-05 06:42:16

Allen and David

This review is from: Whatever Works (DVD) Just finished watching this great movie over the Christmas break and am writing to say how much it was enjoyed on this side of the pond.Am a great fan of Allen and David so the combining of the two was as far as I was concerned, inspirational.

T Y 2012-05-04 21:18:18

Crusty fun

This movie took its knocks as a lesser, late Woody Allen product, andsome even say it's his worst (Ahem. That would be Oedipus Wrecks). So Iwas surprised to find myself enjoying it for long stretches. The lesssaid about most of the movie's trifling machinations, the better. Hmmm.Let's call the plot, light & farcical. But the verve with which LarryDavid presents an outrageously negative character is something tobehold. You have never seen a character with such a mercilesslyjaundiced view of the world before. Hollywood avoids showing this.The movie traffics in Allen-esquire material we're familiar with fromAnnie Hall. Unfortunately it also borrows A big dose of the ick factorfrom Woody's Manhattan, Husbands and Wives, and his own life; hiscurmudgeon protagonist has a morally-odious relationship with anymphet. The movie cops out in the end by gluing every single characterto a significant other, when the point of the whole movie (rightfullyso) is how pathetic and meaningless all of that is. As his resumeshows, Woody Allen could never have been this gleefully mean orforceful as Larry David. His egregiously offensive put-downs of tworeligious parents are howlingly funny, "Walk her around, she's clearlya booze hound." I'm glad Allen stayed out of it, acting-wise.

2012-05-03 14:31:10

Say what you want, LD and Woody Allen made a great movie here!

HILARIOUS and a good story. If you like LD and Woody Allen, nuff' said. So many nit-pik reviews saying not funny. PLEASE. It's not supposed to be 100% comedy. It's entertaining, and yes you'll laugh through 3/4 of the movie. That's all I"m saying other than I LOVED IT AND BOUGHT IT.

David D'Arcy 2012-05-03 01:19:29

Whatever Works transcends Allen formulas thanks to David, who is taller, balder and more foul-mouthed than the usual types Allen himself has played.

Catherine Jones 2012-05-01 22:26:51

Whatever Works works.

Antonia Quirke 2012-05-01 10:00:51

Allen showed us better than anyone what the good times really look like. We can't quite give up on that. We never will.

Brandon Fibbs 2012-04-29 07:05:43

I know it is not as fashionable to say this as it once was, but I love Woody Allen.

Bones Eijnar 2012-04-29 01:14:56

Back in the Big Apple

Originally written back in the 70ties, Woody Allen's latest film'Whatever Works' breaths like something cut between 1977's classic'Annie Hall' and 1979's brilliant 'Manhattan'. Woody Allen's characteris played by Larry David, the incredibly funny guy who created'Seinfeld' and fires all cylinders in HBO's 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'.This guy, named Boris Yellnikoff, is a former physicist whosedepressing but 'oh so genius' look at life has made him attemptingsuicide twice. He complaints about everything that's wrong in theworld, he calls children "cretins" and he sings Happy Birthday twiceevery time he washes his hands; he's just as neurotic, philosophicaland questioning as any character Allen's played, but he's more angryand bitter, which makes for Mr. David to actually perform a couple oftimes besides his naturally brilliant timing. So, Yellnikoff looks sadat life, but life smiles back; enter Melodie St. Ann Celestine, playedby Evan Rachel Wood, a Mississippi queen with a simple mind who's ranaway from home and seeks shelter in Boris' apartment. Days, soon evenmonths, fly by and Melodie falls for the old pessimist, and they evenmarry. Now, enter Melodie's mother (Patricia Clarkson) and later father(Ed Begley), who both are to stir things up in something that's alreadypretty stirring.Now, I know what you'll ask; Melodie, Evan Rachel Wood, age 21, fallingin love with Boris, Larry David, age 61?! That's quite outrageous andquite unbelievable - but amazingly, it's all okay. Evan Rachel Wood asMelody is great in her part, outplaying everyone with her lovableSouthern accent she actually makes the relationship quite believable.Allen has a way of pouring all his neurosis at as and making it allgreatly funny and entertaining, and here, what starts as a weirdlove-story, turns out to become a freak show. Entertaining and easy onthe step 'Whatever Works' is, but it stumbles and fumbles by neverbecoming all that funny, and feeling a bit outdated.

2012-04-24 11:36:28

Woody at (almost) his best

No other writer/director is likely to make a film like this in this day and age of religious conservatism and social correctness. That's what makes Whatever Works work! See this if you are: a) a liberal; b)open-minded; c)a bit of an anarchist; d) a libertarian. If you are none of the above, but you really want something different in the way of an adult, well-written comedy, this is for you too. You won't be bored or disappointed. And 3 cheers for Larry David for a great performance!

Ken Hanke 2012-04-24 07:41:37

If Annie Hall put forth the idea of art making right that which couldn't be made right in life, Whatever Works is that idea put into practice.

Armond White 2012-04-16 19:48:53

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.

Rafer Guzman 2012-04-16 04:29:42

Whatever Works is a slapdash composition built around a single note.

2012-04-15 19:04:59

This is Classic

Larry David plays a faultless Woody facet. Evan Rachel Wood is pitch-perfect, as she was in King of California. "Dad ... no one is there"

Ed Uyeshima 2012-04-15 02:21:58

Minor-League Allen Turns into a Familiar Roundelay of Comic Shenanigans

There is a definite sense of retread to Woody Allen's 2009 farce, arelatively lightweight effort which represents his return to New YorkCity after four films set in Europe, the last being the well-received"Vicki Christina Barcelona". It's no wonder since the script had beencollecting dust in his desk for well over thirty years and was onlyresuscitated because of the potential threat of a Screen Actors Guildstrike. Despite some reference to current events like Darfur, theverbose, intermittently funny script feels like late-seventies Woodywith the protagonist talking to the camera the way Alvy Singer did in"Annie Hall" and a blossoming May-December relationship like the one in"Manhattan". This time, Allen hands the central role to the even moreacerbic Larry David ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") as retired nuclearphysicist Boris Yellnikoff who decided to jump out of a window anddivorce his wealthy wife. He now pontificates ad nauseam with hisintellectual friends, browbeats kids while teaching them chess, andlives alone in a tired-looking walk-up in Chinatown - all because heknows he's going to die…eventually.Enter fresh-faced Melodie St. Anne Celestine, a 21-year-old formerbeauty pageant contestant from Mississippi, who begs Boris for a mealand a place to stay. The model of rural naiveté, she wins the heart ofthe sixtyish curmudgeon, and susceptible to his self-proclaimedbrilliance, she falls for him and proposes marriage. Against all odds,the relationship seems to work (an intriguingly prophetic view ofAllen's later marriage to Soon-Yi Previn), that is, until Melodie'schurch-going, flamboyantly genteel mother Marietta arrives to reclaimher daughter. Appalled at the apparent absurdity of the marriage,Marietta schemes to have handsome actor Randy James steal Melodie awayfrom Boris. Melodie is attracted but remains faithful to Boris at leastfor a while. Meanwhile, Marietta begins to love New York and quicklyevolves into a bohemian artist in a ménage-a-trois arrangement. Herphilandering husband, Melodie's father John arrives to reclaimMarietta, but he discovers that he may have untapped feelings thatfurther complicate matters.The resulting roundelay feels a bit like a lighter version of "Hannahand Her Sisters" with the plot threads a little too neatly wrapped.David is not really an empathetic figure as Boris, which works for mostof the story but not when he needs to show a modicum of vulnerabilityto balance his character. As Melodie, the versatile Evan Rachel Wood("The Wrestler") - sporting a deep-fried accent - has never been soopenly winning before, even though Allen teeters her character'snaiveté into overt caricature at times. Much better used here than in"Vicki Christina Barcelona", Patricia Clarkson is hilariouslymanipulative and adventurous as Marietta, while Ed Begley Jr. does whathe can with the smallish role of John toward the end. As Randy, HenryCavill ("The Tudors") fulfills the dashing good looks and dapper mannerthat make it easy to understand Melodie's temptation. As is usual withAllen's films, the 2009 DVD offers no extras except the originaltheatrical trailer. This film is strictly minor-league Allen but onethat offers at least a smattering of character-driven laughs.