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Review

Whatever Works – Movie Review

A lot of movies can pull in viewers by using the name of the lead actor and/or the director. In the case of Whatever Works both the actor Larry David and the director Woody Allen being used as draws for this movie immediately say a lot about the film and the sort of audience they expect to attract. If you are unfamiliar with Larry David, he was a writer for the show Seinfeld and starred in the show Curb Your Enthusiasm. For some his name means nothing, but for others it helps give a little insight into what this film is all about.

The film centers around Boris, an old Jew who hates the world and sees everyone as beneath him. Then one day he meets a young girl who he helps mold and oddly enough, molds him. Seems like a bit of a predictable story, but a lot of the charm of the movie is in the characters surrounding both Boris and the young girl Melodie. What makes this film different from other comedies of today is the way in which it is presented. Boris, right from the start, breaks the fourth wall. This allows him to share his inner thoughts and both help the viewer identify with his character and also help guide you through the story. Obviously using the main character as the person to guide the story can seem like a weak story telling device, but it is a choice which does not hurt the film, but it does not necessarily help it.

Oddly, the main problem with the film is not the film itself, but the trailer. While the trailer is very funny, a lot of the jokes from the film are in the trailer and even some of the very important plot points of the story are shown. For those who have not seen the trailer, the movie will be funny and possibly unpredictable, but for the folks who have seen the trailer play multiple times on television or on the internet, it definitely takes a lot away from the movie. Not everything is spoiled, but the film is meant to be a comedy, so ripping out those funny gems leaves you with a good story, but nothing to keep you entertained while you wait for the revelations.

As for the film’s depth, the main theme is love, and essentially it is presented in many different ways and interpreted by Boris. This means at the end of the film everything is explained, so for those who want to watch a film that is deep but gives away enough of it for almost anyone to pick up on it, this film is great. Of course many may argue that this is done to make a statement about how ignorant we are as human beings, as Boris finds almost every human beneath him, but that seems like way too much over analysis.

So is it worth a watch? If you have seen the trailer, this is not a movie you want to see in the theater, give it till it gets on DVD, so you can forget what you saw in the preview. Unless of course you don’t mind a lot of boring talking and jokes you have heard before. For others, it is funny enough to be worth a look, probably a cool- but for most this is a pretty solid meh, in other words something that may not work for you.

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About The Author

Genuwine Jon Hammer

The self proclaimed "Genuwine" Jon Hammer, currently a student studying at Digipen Institute of Technology to be a programmer. I am a huge pop culture nerd, so movies, music, tv, podcasts, and games are all important to me, in fact if I often post about such topics on my twitter.

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Article Information

  • Posted: Tuesday, July 21st, 2009
  • Author: Genuwine Jon Hammer
  • Filed Under: Film, Review
Tags: , , , , ,

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