Whatever Works

Movie review by S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media
Whatever Works Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Tepid adult comedy is no Allen masterpiece.

PG-13 2009 92 minutes
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Parents say

age 16+

Based on 4 reviews

Kids say

age 12+

Based on 1 review

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this tepid Woody Allen comedy tackles mature themes like threesomes, homosexual relationships, and infidelity, though there's little actual nudity or explicit sexual content. The main character tries to commit suicide (played lightly) but isn't successful. The language tends toward the insulting at times, but it isn't overly coarse; expect a little bit of drinking and smoking as well. The humor will most likely appeal to grown-ups or precocious older teens -- don't expect this to be on many kids' must-see list.

Community Reviews

Spinoza1961
Spinoza1961 Adult
October 25, 2018
age 18+

Woody's Alter-ego is a Blast

Don't accept any negative reviews for this great Woody Allen film. Larry David is the essence of the real Woody, a neurotic, faith doubting Jew, who falls for a Southern Belle played by Evan Rachelle Woods. This is not to be missed by any Allen fans. Woody has an incredible catalog of work and he continues to create some of the most thoughtful and romantic films ever made by a director. Go get a copy of "Whatever Works" and have a good laugh.
colten97
colten97 Adult
October 11, 2012
age 13+

Woody has done it again

The critics have missed on this one. Don't believe the negative reviews. It's the funniest one from Woody since maybe Deconstructing Harry. Everything works. From the very original script, combining Allen's bleak view of life with effervescent farcical plot line, to uniformly fine performances from Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, and the rest of the cast. Comedic sparks fly non-stop. Not just light chuckles here and there at Woody's witticisms, but loud all-out laughter. The scenes with Ed Begley's and Patricia Clarkson's transformations of 'classic text-book right-wing material' are especially hilarious. And in the end I came out from the theater, thinking that in a paradoxical way it was one of the most life-affirming pictures from the master.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Boris Yellnikoff (Larry David), a former physicist with suicidal tendencies whose attempt to jump out the window fails miserably, finds his world's axis tilted when he meets and improbably marries a very young, nubile optimist, Melody St. Anne Celestine (Evan Rachel Wood). She's a recent transplant from the South and a willing student of Yellnikoff's world view; after initially resisting, he grudgingly falls for her charms. Though he never quite seems certain it'll last, Melody's mother's (Patricia Clarkson) arrival at their doorstep hastens the end. Spurned by her husband (Ed Begley Jr.), she's primed for change and thinks that Melody, whom she's convinced married too hastily, ought to be, too.

Is It Any Good?

Sadly, WHATEVER WORKS doesn't work. Though Allen's exquisite turns of phrase still amuse, the film feels dated, of a time when threesomes and May-December affairs still shocked (not surprisingly, the script is one that was initially written decades ago). David, supremely entertaining in Curb Your Enthusiasm, is wrong here, even if he is funny. Allen's lost and brittle male protagonists need vulnerability for the story to work -- think Alvy in Annie Hall -- and vulnerable David most certainly isn't. Plus, there's little to no chemistry between him and Wood (they barely hug).

But here's the biggest rub: Allen's movies are always of their place -- New York in the lion's share of his canon and, more recently, London and Barcelona. But the New York we see here seems robbed of energy and inspiration ... kind of like the movie itself.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what the story says about relationships. Why does Melody seek the company of a much older man -- and vice versa? Is there anything wrong with a younger person taking up with a much older partner? How do movies usually portray that kind of relationship?

  • Fans of Woody Allen can also discuss how this movie compares to his other films. What do his movies tend to have in common?

Movie Details

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