Whatever Works 2009

     Lifelong New York resident Boris Yellnikoff rants to anyone who will listen about impressing his ideologies on religion, relationships and the randomness or worthlessness of existence.  He begrudgingly allows naive Mississippi runaway Melodie St. Ann Celestine to live in his apartment.  Surprisingly, his reclusive rages lead to a friendship.  Boris is happy to mold the impressionable young girl’s worldly views to match his own.  On the subject of love, “whatever works” is his motto.  His already perplexed life complicates itself further when Melodie’s parents track her down!!

     This is a tepid comedy but it takes on mature themes such as threesomes, homosexual relationships and infidelity.  A main character attempts suicide but botches the job.  Language is usually insulting but not overly coarse.  Some drinking and smoking.  Humor directed at adults or older teens.  This title will not be on the list of movies many kids would want to see!!  This film follows an Allen formula of a neurotic, faith doubting Jew with a bleak view of life.  Boris falls for a real Southern Belle but she not anywhere near his old age bracket!!  There are some laughs!!  This film works because of the unlikely chemistry between Wood and David.  Their friendship enables them to find more meaning in their own lives.  4* (I liked this movie)
 
93 min, Comedy directed and written by Woody Allen with Evan Rachel Wood, Larry David, Henry Cavill, Adam Brooks, Lyle Kanouse, Michael McKean, Clifford Lee Dickson, Yolonda Ross, Carolyn McCormick, Samantha Bee, Conleth Hill, Marcia DeBonis, Willa Cuthrell, John Gallagher Jr., Nicole Patrick.

Note:  Imdb 7.1 out of 10 with 69,522 reviews, Roger Ebert 3*, Rotten Tomatoes 50% with 165 critics, 61% with 39,704 audience ratings, Metacritic 45 out of 100 with 31 critic reviews (positive 10, mixed 16, negative 5), 6.4 out of 10 with 103 user scores (positive 68, mixed 11, negative 24), RollingStone 2 1/2* out of 4* Peter Travers, Amazon 4.1* out of 5* with 383 reviews, Common Sense Media S. Jhoanna Robledo age 15+, positive messages 2*, violence 1*, sex 3*, language 2*, consumerism 1*, drinking drugs & smoking 2*.

Special Note:  Woody Allen said he cast Larry David because he is one of the few comedians that make him laugh??  This film takes some of its roots from A Streetcar Named Desire written by Tennessee Williams.  Marietta is a Southern woman visiting the big city.  She is similar to Blance DuBois in several ways.  She is horrified at apartment where Boris lives and she is coy about her drinking.  One of her lines is “You are not the gentleman I was expecting?”  Woody Allen started to write this movie in the 70’s.  His main idea was to tell how a family of intolerant rednecks changed completely for different reasons after living for a while in New York.