Whatever Works

Yet another Woody Allen, Manhattan based, quirky film...... where he explores the irrational and absurd, and makes a meandering kind of story of it.

           

Boris Yellnikoff, a hardened cynic, actually full blown misogynist, played by Larry David, is a nuclear physicist, once nominated for the Nobel Prize. He's now divorced, retired....and spends all his time.....well,  just being a misogynist I guess.

As Allen often does, the movie starts with this group of friends in the middle of an intellectual discussion, this time on the paradoxes of life...like life is beautiful...yet, that it's miserable to see it wasted by humanity, yes, Boris' bitterness speaks. Larry David is amazing in the role.

Boris's marriage is interesting, interesting in a completely paradoxical way.....because, it seems like a perfect match, same interests, both highly intelligent, similar values......like he says...it was so perfect, he couldn't stand it. Hard to understand, even the wife doesn't get it, but that's what Boris feels, so he leaves.

And into that bitter world of his enters Melody St Ann Celestine, who is all that her name evokes...sweet, innocent, optimistic, naive, and lacking anything close to intelligence or intellectual.

Evan Rachel Wood, is convincing in the role, and through all that lack of intelligence which he is totally brazenly contemptuous of, she proposes marriage.  He's shocked and appalled and he's initially like, what can I give you except hypochondriasis, morbid fixations and misantropy? However apparently dumb, she has a mind of her own, and she sees greatness in him and in all her innocence wants him. And marry her he does. And it flows on till it does....till it reaches where he wants her and she moves on.

It's about whatever works, even if different things work at different times.

It's an Allen for sure...but I wouldn't put it at one of his best