I've never subscribed to the popular theory that Woody Allen is past his prime. Many filmgoers seem to believe that Allen has become increasingly lazy as a filmmaker, an idea that I consider to be completely foolish. In the past six years, Woody Allen has proven that he is still a masterful cinematic auteur. In 2005, Allen made "Match Point", a sexy and thrilling tour de force that is one of his best films. Last year, Allen gave us the seductive and visually dazzling "Vicky Cristina Barcelona", a film for which Penelope Cruz won an Oscar. In this decade, Allen has also made "Anything Else" and "Melinda and Melinda", two criminally underrated comedies that delivered very big laughs. So no, I do not believe that Woody Allen has lost his touch. One could argue that he has yet to equal the brilliance of "Hannah and Her Sisters" and "Annie Hall", but that's like saying Francis Ford Coppola has yet to make a better film than "The Godfather". America's favorite neurotic remains one of the greatest, most prolific filmmakers around, regardless of what you may have heard. However, even great filmmakers stumble once in a while, and this is the case with Allen's latest effort, "Whatever Works". This film is a wildly uneven, mildly amusing, and occasionally diverting misfire that shows flashes of brilliance without ever fulfilling its potential.
"Whatever Works" takes us inside the life of Boris Yelnikoff (Larry David), an incessantly misanthropic curmudgeon who treats everybody with stunning rudeness and disrespect. Boris believes that life is an absolutely meaningless endeavor. He considers himself a genius, the only person who can see the big picture. Boris regularly teaches chess lessons to young kids, but those lessons merely consist of him berating the children for their utter stupidity. Boris walks with a noticeable limp, for he once tried to commit suicide by jumping off a balcony, only to land on the canopy. One night outside of his New York City apartment, Boris is confronted by a young woman (Evan Rachel Wood) in her twenties from Mississippi named Melody. She has run away from home and is looking for a place to stay. Boris reluctantly agrees to provide shelter for the woman, despite his obvious disdain for her inferior intellect. As the days pass, however, Melody develops a crush on Boris. She becomes persuaded by his pessimistic world view, and soon enough, with an age difference of forty years, Boris and Melody marry.
This plot sounds like great material, but "Whatever Works" never takes full advantage of it. The movie is riddled with problems. First of all, Melody seems far too much like a caricature, playing off the tired "dumb blonde" cliche. Evan Rachel Wood gives a spunky performance, but she speaks in a greatly exaggerated Southern drawl that is distracting and slightly annoying. Wood has enormous talent, as evidenced by her superb work alongside Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler", but her acting here feels strained. Secondly, "Whatever Works" has Boris frequently interrupt the movie and speak directly to the audience, aware that he is in a movie. Granted, this technique is a Woody Allen trademark that worked beautifully in "Annie Hall", but this self-conscious style feels out of place in "Whatever Works". The movie also suffers from frequent dry spells. There is an unnecessary storyline involving a handsome bachelor trying to woo Melody that feels like it was yanked out of a conventional rom-com. This part of the film gets bogged down in cliche.
Despite all of these glaring flaws, "Whatever Works" has some truly great moments. There is a very funny subplot involving Patricia Clarkson and Ed Begley, Jr. as Melody's deeply religious parents who undergo two drastic shifts in personality. Larry David, taking over a role that in years past would have been played by Woody Allen himself, is excellent, playing a cantankerous character that is reminiscent of his work in "Curb Your Enthusiasm", one of the funniest shows in the history of television. Boris is downright unpleasant, but just as he does on "Curb", Larry David manages to make even the rudest of guys somewhat endearing. And Woody Allen, even though his script is inconsistent, still manages to provide some hilariously witty dialogue to remind us that he is one of the best screenwriters ever. The last twenty minutes or so are particularly strong, with dialogue that is vintage Woody Allen.
So "Whatever Works" is not a bad film. But there are too many flaws for me to recommend it. I hold Allen to a high standard, and this is a middle-of-the-road entry to his filmography. But Woody Allen is not past his prime. Even in a film that is ultimately disappointing, Allen shows enough to prove that he still has game.
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