Whatever Works

Whatever Works!

I just recently saw Whatever Works! The new film written and directed by Woody Allen. It’s your typical Woody Allen movie where the main character might as well be Woody Allen himself and the character he plays in every movie. But that is the charm that comes with Woody Allen.

I am a big big Woody Allen fan, and I have to say this is my least favorite out of all the Woody Allen movies I have seen. Typically his rants about atheistism and religion, and his negative view on society doesn’t really bother me. I find it rather humorous, like in love in death, but this one had a different twist to it.

No doubt the movie was funny. I found myself laughing very loud during some scenes, like when Larry David would be going off on random tangents of why he is a genius and how he feels bad for everyone else who isn’t. The plot itself was very funny. The plot is that Larry David, a man who had it all, was bent on ending his life. He was a teacher at Columbia, and had money. He tried to commit suicide but failed, and ended up divorced, with a limp living in the Bronx. To make money he teaches children how to play chess, and more than likely ends up loosing his cool and calling the children idiots.

One night while walking home, a homeless girl played by Evan Rachel Wood approaches him and asks him for some food and a place to stay. She is from the deep south of Mississippi, and is 18, and ran away from home to spite her mother.

Boris Yellnikoff (Larry David) decides to let her stay till she can find a job and save some money. Her name is Melodie St. Ann Celestine, and slowly becomes a Boris herself. She adopts all of his random rants and pessimistic views of the world. She realizes that he is the only one for her, and they get married. Their age difference is huge, but it works out. You never see them kiss or anything. It’s a marriage to just keep each other company.

Then Melodie’s mother comes racing into town beaming with joy because she finally found her daughter. The mother is played by Patricia Clarkson (Lars and the Real Girl, Station Agent) and is the most southern Baptist a woman can get. She is appalled to find out her daughter married an old man and is bent on ruining their marriage. She asks them if she can stay because of her marriage that recently feel in shambles. Her husband lost everything and ran away with her best friend. While in New York, her life changes dramatically, ends up being in a 3-way relationship, and tries to find men for her daughter to hook up with.

Then the Dad finally comes into town, praising Jesus that he finally found his wife and daughter and wants everyone to move back home and be together. He finds out his wife is living with two other men, is an artist, and that his daughter is married to an old man who claims he is a genius. He goes out drinking and tries to find himself, which he does.

At the end everything comes crashing down, and people take the route that makes them the happiest. It’s an interesting ending, considering that everyone is happy in the end.

All in all, it was a good film, but one I wouldn’t buy or own, and one I wouldn’t tell people they have to see. It has its entertaining moments, good messages, mixed messages, and your typical Woody Allen whit.