Whatever Works
Director: Woody Allen
Writer: Woody Allen
2009
First off, let me say that it takes a lot for me to actually laugh out loud in a theatre, and Whatever Works did just that. This film stars Larry David (the co-creator of Seinfeld and star of Curb Your Enthusiasm) in a role combining his own persona with that of Woody Allen’s neurosis, and makes for a very entertaining hour and a half. Larry David plays Boris, – the epitome of misanthropy – a self-proclaimed neurotic genius with a unique view on life, love and the universe. He is hilarious in this film and at times his character is easily identifiable (to some of us) and the things he says are quite logical. Evan Rachel Wood plays Melodie, a dim-witted, impressionable, charming girl from Mississippi who drops into Boris’ life. Together they make an odd pairing, however their relationship brings people together, giving others the opportunity to grow and change as human beings.
The film is made up of complex relationships, characters, universal theories and outlooks on life. But beneath the surface of the film is the message Woody Allen continually puts forth: life is chance, you can’t control what the universe puts out there. The best you can do is whatever works for you.
