"Whatever Works"...works!

On Friday, the hubby & I kicked off the holiday weekend by taking in the new Woody Allen flick - how patriotic! ;)

Then again...maybe it was--this film marked Woody's return to US soil after several films set in overseas: three in London and one in Spain. I saw one of the three in London - name escapes me and I don't feel like IMDB'ing it - and it was decent but not great. Set in Barcelona, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona", was quite good...although not necessarily typical Woody fare.

Set in NYC - familiar turf for Woody and, as always, a character in itself - Larry David stars in the lead role which would have been played by Woody himself 20-30 years ago. David plays Boris Yellinkoff, a Nobel Peace prize runner-up and self-declared genius, is also a jaded misanthrope whose world is turned upside-down when he meets the very young, very naive Melodie St. Ann Celestine who literally shows up on his doorstep seeking shelter. Boris takes in the Southern belle (played by Evan Rachel Wood) and, though he is extremely critical of her intellect and her worldviews...a transformation in Boris begins to occur - there is a spring in his step, even with his limp.

I don't think I'm revealing any spoiler to let you know that these two unlikely people do eventually find love - c'mon...it's Woody Allen...you saw this coming!! - but it may be some of the people that eventually insert themselves into their story that will provide big laughs. Features the great Patricia Clarkson and Ed Begley, who is very good here (I'm normally not a big fan of Begley).

One criticism: Wood's Southern accent was pretty bad...which particularly stood out in scenes with Clarkson, who is a native hailing from New Orleans.

I think "Whatever Works" will work for Woody fans and Allen may have found a new muse in David (sorry, Scarlett!).


For Woody fans and NuYawkers (often one & the same!): SEE
Non-Woodyphiles: SKIP (or, wait for DVD)