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Whatever Works
Woody Allen’s newest comedy is reminiscent of his older films- sans Allen as the neurotic leading man.
“Whatever Works” (2009) stars Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm) as Boris Yellnikoff, a pretentious chess instructor and self-proclaimed genius with a taste for the ostentatious rant, who seems to have given up on the idea of finding happiness. Or, more likely never played into the ruse that happiness was an option.
Yellnikoff, like many of writer/director Woody Allen’s leading men, is hopelessly neurotic. He sings “Happy Birthday” while he washes his hands and wakes up in fits of panic in the middle of the night pondering the meaning of life.
David’s character, however, also incorporates a bit of anger in the mix. Unlike many of the characters played by Allen himself in his earlier movies, Yellnikoff is easily agitated and condescending. Yellnikoff goes through life looking down on average people, who he considers to be “cretins” and “inchworms.”
One night, Yellnikoff meets a homeless runaway (Evan Rachel Wood) in the alley. Despite his distaste for inchworms, he lets the disheveled young lady stay with him while she looks for work in New York City.
He learns that she is Melodie St. Ann Celestine, a former beauty queen. She’s come to the city from a small town in Mississippi to start a new life. Despite their obvious differences, Yellnikoff develops a liking for St. Ann Celestine and takes her on as something of a project.
In typical Allen fashion, the situation complicates as a number of quirky characters are introduced. Each of these characters has their own outlook on love and life, and of course Yellnikoff has something to say about everyone and every situation.
It isn’t likely that “Whatever Works” will ever be considered a classic like Allen’s award winning romantic comedy “Annie Hall,” but it is worth a watch if you’re an Allen fan, a lover of off-beat comedies or have a thing for anxiety-ridden yet self-righteous older men.
Image via Wikipedia
