| Review:
|
It seems pretty clear that if “Whatever Works” was
made twenty years ago, Woody Allen would have cast himself
in the role he gave to Larry David, who plays a morbid,
arrogant, self-centered, nihilistic man whose superior intellect
is second only to his caustic tongue. Since Allen is getting
up in years, I can’t think of a better actor than David
to take his place; having heard his written work on “Seinfeld,”
having seen him perform in “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” I’m quite
familiar with his flustered, neurotic persona, and it’s
without a doubt perfectly suited for this movie. ***
“Whatever Works” tells a relentlessly funny story in
which Allen continues to explore relationships and the human
condition, or more specifically, how miserable the human
condition is. As a man who has openly disavowed the existence
of God and an afterlife, as a man who fears death, he will
probably never stop exploring these themes. ***
If last year’s wonderful “Vicky Christina Barcelona”
taught us anything, it’s that Allen believes that true happiness
is unattainable--the tragedy of living is that it’s a never-ending
search for happiness. For this new film, Allen takes this
idea in a slightly different direction; since there’s no
actual pattern to life, since everything in the universe
happens only through completely random occurrences, you
have to be happy with what you’re given. In other words,
you have to find whatever works. ***
New York brainiac and Nobel Prize contender Boris Yelnikoff
(David) believes this with all his heart, especially after
having one of his panic attacks and finally being able to
see the big picture, which in this case enables him and
him alone to break the fourth wall and talk directly to
the audience sitting in the theater. ***
His story is vaguely reminiscent of George Bernard
Shaw’s “Pygmalion,” in which a young girl is taken in by
an older gentleman and taught to change her mannerisms and
way of thinking. A few years ago, Boris came across a twenty-one-year-old
Southern runaway named Melodie St. Ann Celestine (Evan Rachel
Wood), a girl so simple and naïve that she’s unfazed every
time Boris berates her for her lack of intellect. ***
Maybe she takes it in stride because he feels that
way about humanity as a species; as a certified genius,
only he sees the big picture, and it’s not a very pretty
one. In spite of his bleak outlook on life, in spite of
his constant tirades against people and the nonsense they
perpetuate, Melodie develops a crush on Boris, and it isn’t
long before she starts thinking the way he thinks. Boris,
naturally, believes that a relationship will not work out.
Indeed, they have a lot stacked against them--the age difference,
finances, conflicting ideologies, the fact that he’s smart
and she’s not. ***
Then again, Boris was at one time married to a remarkably
brainy woman, and they couldn’t stand each other. Could
it be true that opposites attract? More to the point, could
it be true that the way to happiness is by being a simpleton
rather than a genius? As time goes on, Boris finds himself
rethinking his position in life. Oh, he still believes that
people are stupid and doomed from the day they’re born,
but when he’s with Melodie, he feels he can finally be comfortable
and just let life go on. ***
This represents a reversal of an idea presented in
Allen’s own “Annie Hall,” in which his character asks a
random couple on the street the secret to their lasting
relationship: “I’m very shallow and empty and I have no
ideas and nothing interesting to say,” replies the woman,
to which the man adds, “And I’m exactly the same way.” ***
The inclusion of Melodie’s parents introduces a couple
of subplots, and while they aren’t as strong as the main
plot, they do play into Allen’s idea of latching onto whatever
works. Melodie’s mother, Marietta (Patricia Clarkson), is
initially portrayed as a typical right-wing Southern belle
befor
e undergoing a transformation of sorts. ***
One thing remains constant: She thinks that Boris is
no good for her daughter, and she does everything she can
to set Melodie up with a charming British actor named Randy
James (Henry Cavil). ***
Melodie’s father, John (Ed Begley, Jr.), comes to New
York looking for her and her mother. Once made aware of
the changes in both their lives, he finds himself reassessing
his own situation. What he discovers about himself isn’t
all that original, but it’s surprising nonetheless. ***
But the real focus of this movie, the glue that holds
everything together, is Boris, whose attitude is fascinating,
if incredibly antisocial, snide, and resentful. Right at
the start, he tells us that he’s not a likeable guy and
that his is not the feel-good story of the year, although
I’m not sure I agree with either one. Firstly, Melodie proves
that there’s something strangely magnetic about someone
who doesn’t believe in anything; we’re drawn to Boris and
compelled to deconstruct him to figure out what makes him
tick, knowing all too well what he would think of us. Secondly,
while the story is filled with Boris’ misanthropic musings,
it’s not so unpleasant that it fails to see the humor in
it all. ***
|
