whatever works ★★★★★
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Director: Woody Allen
Lead: Larry David
Co-Star: Carolyn McCormick
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Runtime: 92mins
Rating: PG
Stars: ★★★★★
With the advent of Go!, I have been becoming refamiliar with old episodes of Seinfeld at late hours while working of late and of course this has reminded me of the genius of Larry David, who stars in this latest film ofWoody Allen. It is an interesting choice - it is almost as if David was cast to play Allen - which is funny in and of itself.
David plays Boris Yellnikoff - a very unlikely hero. He is a physicist who was once nominated for a Nobel Prize. He has now retired and spends his days teaching chess to kids in his own little style and lives on his own in a quite cool (but very grungy) warehouse conversion in Manhattan's Chinatown - having divorced his rich wife. These days he spends most of his time hanging out with his mates at a coffee shop and telling stories and generally not coping with life that well.
His problem is very Allen-esque. The world is full of idiots and and he hates just about everyone and everything. So it is a bit of a surprise when this guy takes pity on a young homeless woman he finds outside his building and lets her come in for some food. The check Melody (Evan Rachel Wood) and she has just arrived in NY and has very little idea. She plays this innocent and slightly thick role very well.
The rest of the film is a bit of a discover, as Boris and Melody discover each other; Melody's parents discover stuff about themselves when the each come searching for Melody independently - with her mother Marietta (Patricia Clarkson) particularly good. Ultimately this is about accepting.. whatever works. Which might not be quite what you thought was right for you at the outset.
If anything it all ends up a little too well for a Woody Allen film - but it is all overshadowed by the performances of both David and Wood. Brilliant.
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