Whatever Works
In Woody Allen’s latest film “Whatever Works” Larry David (Curb your Enthusiasm) plays Boris Yellnikoff, an eccentric old man with an estranged view on the world who finds himself roomed with a beautiful young girl from Mississippi named Melodie; played by Evan Rachel Wood (The Wrestler, Across the Universe).
Larry David’s character, Boris, is a character audiences are more familiar being played by Woody Allen. What Woody Allen has written is a character we’ve seen before, but here the circumstances are a little different. Boris Yellnikoff‘s major hang up is that he is the only one who can see the “big picture,” but a lot of things change when Melodie comes in to that “big picture.”
Melodie St. Anne Celestine is a homeless runaway who Boris, though hesitant at first, invites into his home but just for the night. One night turns into a few days, days turn into weeks, and eventually Melodie is living there. The two get to know each other and a romance is brewed. Young, naïve Melodie starts to fall in love with old Boris and, over time, Boris finds feelings for her.
Evan Rachel Wood gives a very charismatic performance. She plays the balance between being a cartoony redneck and a naïve Mississippi girl well. Her character isn’t meant to be completely stupid, just ignorant to other points of view and Evan Rachel Wood never plays the character too much in either direction. My only complaint is that Wood, herself, isn’t very funny. Some of the punch lines got a delayed response from the audience because it was hard to tell when her joke ended. She’s not the punchy comedian everybody else in the film.
When it comes to Larry David’s performance as Boris, it’s as if Woody Allen has retired his classic “narcotic Jew” character and passed the torch to David. Larry David plays the character almost exactly how Allen would play it. This isn’t a bad thing though. Larry David’s timing and ability to deliver long, complicated dialogue in one take is very impressive. This was a very good career move on Larry David’s part. I’m sure a lot of people were telling him not to do it for fear of being type cast, but really it proved his ability as an actor in a lot of ways.
The moral of this film is basically, “despite what society dictates or what your peers or family say, life is what you make it. There is no right or wrong you just do whatever works.” To me, it seems that this was a very personal film for Woody. He has been criticized for having a relationship with a much younger woman and this film seems to parallel some aspects of Woody’s life. Even though I personally enjoyed some of Woody’s recent films more, there is something that is special about this one. I think much more people will relate to it and connect to its characters.
If you find yourself, one day, feeling like seeing a movie and you can’t decide what to see, see Whatever Works. It’s funny, smart, and enjoyable.
