Whatever Works, the umpteenth romantic comedy from writer-director-actor Woody Allen, is unlikely to gain him any converts. Like Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York or Jim Jarmusch’s recent tour de force The Limits Of Control, the film showcases a filmmaker exploring his personal style, approach and sense of humour to the furthest imaginable extents, in this case veering dangerously close to self-parody. For fans of the still-feisty 73-year-old, there are sizable chunks of this film to enjoy. For anyone on the fence or in the anti-Allen camp, however, it would be advisable to simply steer clear.
Following in the footsteps of John Cusack (the underrated Bullets Over Broadway), Edward Norton (the musical curio Everyone Says I Love You) and Will Ferrell (the wonderful Melinda and Melinda), Larry David assumes the role of the “Woody Allen” surrogate here, a variation on the neurotic intellectual that first emerged in the 1960s. As on his HBO TV show Curb Your Enthusiasm, David plays an unlikable grump with a short fuse and a superiority complex. If viewers are meant to detest his character, the “almost Nobel Prize winner” turned hobbling chess instructor Boris Yelnikoff, then David is a smashing success. In other words, he’s not going to win any new fans, either.
As for the plot, messages and food for thought, if it all feels like recycled scraps from Allen’s wastebasket, it’s probably because he originally penned the script in the late 1970s, with actor Zero Mostel in mind for the main role. Quickly now: One day, old down-on-his-luck Yelnikoff meets a young fish out of water named Melodie St. Ann Celestine (Evan Rachel Wood). Despite their 40-year age difference, she falls in love with him (sound familiar?) and they enter into an unusual and obviously flawed relationship built on the belief that life is short, so we should all settle for “whatever works.” A series of wacky events follow and everyone learns a few lessons about what they truly want in life and love.
Fortunately, the film’s skilled players and bitterly clever dialogue prove to be a partial saving grace. Sure, every single role is an ankle-deep, one-note caricature at best, but Allen clearly realizes this and pokes fun at it, particularly with the sensitive romantic Randy James (Henry Cavill), who enjoys playing the flute in his spare time. Patricia Clarkson of Six Feet Under fame and Christopher Guest regulars Michael McKean and Ed Begley Jr. are all fantastic as well and it’s a treat to have David addressing the audience directly in theatre-style asides, a trick Allen hasn’t used in years. All in all, Whatever Works is several steps down from Vicky Cristina Barcelona, but is still worth watching for anyone who considers Manhattan a classic.
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