WHATEVER WORKS
US, 2009, 93 minutes. Colour.
Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Ed Begley Jr, Henry Cavill, Michael Mc Kean.
Directed by Woody Allen.
An entertaining return to the 'old' Woody Allen, the Allen of the 1970s and 1980s (when he first wrote this screenplay for Zero Mostel). More recently, Woody Allen has been working in England and Spain, making films which have drawn mixed reactions and reviews – though Penelope Cruz won an Oscar for her spitfire role in Vicky Christina Barcelona. Allen is reported to have been held up by the writers' strike in Hollywood and so got out this screenplay and prepared it and pepped it up for the 21st century. I'm glad he did.
Enter Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm) as Boris. He sounds as if he is channelling the Woody Allen of the past, though he does it in his own distinctive way. He rants to his friends about everything, reminiscing how he almost won a Nobel Prize, his love for science, his scepticism about religion, his failed marriage and his botched suicide attempt. He also rants direct to camera, talking about the reaction of the audience.
Enter Evan Rachel Wood as Melodie, a runaway from the south to New York City, rather ingenuous but ingenuously shrewd. She listens to his orations. He gradually gets used to her. She is ready to be moulded and, before you can say Woody Allen, they are married. A shock for his friends. But, it all seems to work well enough. She starts to spout Boris's prejudices. He relaxes and relents, a little.
Enter Patricia Clarkson as Melodie's mother, a conservative lady who has left her husband. And, then, does New York change her! From amateur photographer to photo galleries. From proper and churchgoer to bohemian and permissive.
Enter Ed Begley Jr as Melodie's father, even more ingenuous than Melodie, who has broken up his marriage with an affair and has now come to New York to find wife and daughter. And, then, does New York change him! From uptight and homophobic to bohemian and gay.
Enter a would-be British actor who falls for Melodie who resists him, lectures him a la Boris, but... Is this the end for Boris and his belief in luck and the meaning of the universe?
The cast performs well. Woody Allen's dialogue is what we liked before, a blend of wit, of philosophy, of pessimism, of pontificating, of provocative remarks and an invitation to think and reflect as we react to Boris and his pontificating. The film also takes us back to films like Interiors and Hannah as he presents the odd couple blend of highbrow arty phonies and the common-sensed ordinary people, platitudes and pretensions versus down-to-earthiness.
Whatever Works is the response that Boris offers to all the questions and challenges of life though, sometimes, Allen and his characters are satisfied with whatever half-works.
1. The title, Boris’s philosophy? Cynical, arrogant? The more realistic ending and the emphasis on love and tolerance?
2. A Woody Allen film, the wit, philosophising, life and death, issues of religion and God, Christianity and fundamentalism? The older man and the relationship with the younger woman? The effect on each? The final tolerance, live and let live, the importance of love?
3. A New York story, Woody Allen’s New York, the streets and cafes, the New York types, the universities, Nobel Prizes, art and philosophy, galleries? The permissive New York? The markets and streets? Real? The musical score and the use of old songs?
4. The style, Boris talking to the audience, his friends wondering what was wrong with him, waving to the audience? Boris and his comment to the audience throughout the film? The end, the group not seeing the audience? Boris’s style in talking, talking at, talking down, informing, his cynical remarks, the audience staying or leaving?
5. Larry David as Boris, the background of his television shows? Boris’s age, cynical, arrogant, intellectually superior, the almost-Nobel Prize nomination, the invective towards people, friends, his wife and their clash, her infidelity, noting what they had in common, his jumping, injuring his leg and failing to killing himself? His sardonic remarks about suicide? His low expectations of life experience?
6. The encounter with Melody, talking, her staying, his despising her shallowness, the south, allowing her to stay, her personality, intelligence, her story, her mother and her father leaving her, Melody coming to New York, running away from home, staying with Boris, the bond with him? Marrying him? Her reasons? The effect of the marriage on each of them? The domestic details of their shared life, at home, around New York City? His comment on her clichés, her observations? Her changing?
7. Her mother’s arrival, her mother and her style, southern, religious, the language of God, fainting when she discovered that Melody was married? Her antagonism towards Boris? Going out, at the markets, the meals? The encounter with the young man? At the market and setting him up, with the handkerchiefs? Talking about him to Melody? Leo and his attraction, her change of heart, giving up her religion, becoming permissive, the relationship with Alcohol? The ménage a trois? Leo’s praising of her photography? Taking it to the experts? The exhibition? Her change of dress, manner, talking? The body parts collage? The exhibition? Her husband turning up? Her reaction to him? Her pushing the young man to court Melody? Her explanation of her change? At the New Year’s party, with the two men? A different style of life – and happy?
8. John, his being talked about, leaving his wife, with her best friend? In the rifle club? Religious? His work? Looking for Melody, arriving in New York? His reaction to Boris? Boris’s sardonic remarks? His being taken to see his wife? The gallery, his shock at seeing her, with the pornography, discovering what had happened to her, her explanation of ménage a trois? His disillusionment? In the bar, the encounter with Howard, the drinks, being frank, his relationships, his blatant homosexuality? With Howard? His discussion about his counselling, the rifle club and the sexual compensation? New Year’s party, happily with Howard, the plans for shops?
9. Leo and Al, their liking Marietta? The relationship with her? Leo and his philosophy? Al and his gallery? The exhibition? New Year’s Eve and their all being together?
10. The young actor, English, his talking to Mariette, talking about Melody? The issue of the handkerchiefs, his description of his infatuation to Melody, her vaguely recognising it? His next encounter with her, the invitation to the boat? Melody falling in love? Out with Boris, her explanation? His resignation – and expecting this? His attempted suicide, out the window, falling on the psychic? Visiting her in hospital? The irony of her being a psychic and his falling on her and her not foreseeing it (or did she)? The bond between them – and together at New Year’s Eve? His telling the audience about the strange things of fate, luck, age, love? The emphasis on love?
