ScreenWize

After the sexy, witty brilliance of Vicki Christina Barcelona, Woody Allen’s follow-up film Whatever Works is something of a letdown. This, however, isn’t as bad as it sounds. Even when delivering something of a regression, as this film is, he still packs more laughs and ideas into a film than most filmmakers do into a career.

After a career seachange in Europe in recent years, Allen finds himself back in New York. The traditional Allen character is this time played by comedian Larry David (from TV’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, though he has had bit parts in a number of older Allen films). His Boris Yellnickoff is a jaded former physicist and Nobel nominee who has given up on life, eking out a living teaching chess (and being mean) to children, and ranting to anyone who will listen about the futileness of life. The title of the film comes from his personal motto, which is to take whatever small happiness comes your way, whatever works. Into his life comes Melodie Celeste (Evan Rachel Wood), a young homeless runaway from the south who was sleeping on the pavement outside Boris’s apartment. She sweet-talks her way inside for one night which turns into a month, and then a friendship and then a marriage. Not the brightest crayon in the box, Melodie is a blank canvas, readily absorbing Boris’s learned cynicism.

Allen wrote this screenplay over 30 years ago with actor Zero Mostel in mind for Boris, but on the actor’s death he filed it away. Knowing this going into the film helps explain a lot - not only the dated comedy, but the sweet optimism of its May-December(the year after next) romance. The Woody who dusted off and directed the screenplay imbues the story with a melancholy knowing. I’m no fan of Larry David. His monotone delivery of Boris’s rants, often delivered direct to the camera (while the rest of the characters ask him who he’s talking to) take some warming up to, and a lot of his/Allen’s dialogue feels forced. Evan Rachel Wood is just wonderful as the slowly blossoming Melodie, but the film really finds its pace upon the arrival of Melodie’s separated parents, played by Patricia Clarkson & Ed Begley Jnr, who each fall under New York’s spell.

As always in Allen’s films, sets, camerawork, casting and the music are all superlative.

CK

Rating:

Filed Under: Reviews by Simon