Premise: A neurotic misanthrope genius, Boris (Larry David), meets a runaway southern teenage dimwit, Melody (Evan Rachel Wood). After letting her stay in his basement, and constantly telling her how stupid she is, Boris is enchanted by her adoption of his miserable life philosophy. They get married, and eventually her parents come to New York to look for her.
Comments:
1. Larry David fills in admirably as this year's Woody Surrogate. In contrast to Kenneth Branagh, who did a spot on vocal imitation of Woody in Celebrity, and Will Farrell, who did a spot on character imitation of Woody in Melinda and Melinda, David just plays himself (literally himself -- his character from Curb Your Enthusiasm). It's easy, because the characters are so similar. The only difference is that Larry, from Curb, is immensely more likable because you can sympathize with him -- he gets into wacky situations and has to deal with the unreasonable condemnation of others.* Boris Yelnikoff, on the other hand, is miserable for no reason. As far as I could tell, nothing really bad ever happened to him that warranted the distaste for living the character exhibits.
2. But Boris' unnatural misanthropy fits this film, where every character is a malleable caricature of something: Melody is a young twit who predictably falls in and out of love with supernatural ease; her mother is a repressed Southern Christian conservative who just needs a little flattery about her "primitive photography" to become a promiscuous polyamorous modern artist; her father only needs to meet one gay man, once, to confess that he was forced by society to sublimate his feelings of attraction toward the footbal team's tight end. No complexity.
3. Thematically speaking, this film is in some ways a comedic expansion of the relationship between Frederick (Max von Sydow) and Lee (Barbara Hershey) in Hannah and Her Sisters. That relationship consisted of a classic older male teacher and an uneducated younger female, where the primary attraction revolved around the worship of intellect. Many of the same points are made -- I told you that you shouldn't have fallen in love with me, I knew you'd leave me, you're a simple girl , etc. And in that sense, I think Whatever Works is effective. Larry David does a good job of accepting Melody's arrival and departure. At the beginning, he's reluctant and belittling, but he as comes to experience life through her he becomes happy. When she leaves him, he's angry, and strikes out with insults, but he understands why she's going and quiety mourns. This relationship, it turns out, is just one in the long line of things that works temporarily, and he drudgingly accepts that fact.
4. Woody is back in New York again after a four-film absence (Match Point, Scoop, Cassandra's Dream, Vicky Christina Barcelona), but I hear he's going back to London for his next film, thankfully. After seeing this movie, I think there's nothing new in New York for Woody to work with. I think he's all tapped out here. I look forward to his continued experimentation abroad.
Recommendation: Only for Woody devotees, or if you need a date movie that will make you feel good about your relationship. Go in with low expectations.
* This is my interpretation of what happens on Curb, which might tell you a lot about who I am.
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