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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By R. Altman
Format:DVD
this is not everyone's cup of tea - the underlying philosophy of
futility with comfort is presented bluntly and unflinchingly. if you
resonate with the philosophy and the general tenor of woody Allen's
matured take on life, then it's a non-stop chuckle from start to
finish. despite the fundamentally bleak view of human life (and humanity) it still finds and retrieves a positive way out (as summarised in the title).
not sure why Allen offered the part to David instead of just doing it himself - in any event, both do their job brilliantly. very simply done, the craft is sharp and scintillating - a diamond. possibly helps if you're close to Allen's and David's current age bracket too.
as for negative comments in certain quarters about it being 'unnatural' - yes, it's art!
futility with comfort is presented bluntly and unflinchingly. if you
resonate with the philosophy and the general tenor of woody Allen's
matured take on life, then it's a non-stop chuckle from start to
finish. despite the fundamentally bleak view of human life (and humanity) it still finds and retrieves a positive way out (as summarised in the title).
not sure why Allen offered the part to David instead of just doing it himself - in any event, both do their job brilliantly. very simply done, the craft is sharp and scintillating - a diamond. possibly helps if you're close to Allen's and David's current age bracket too.
as for negative comments in certain quarters about it being 'unnatural' - yes, it's art!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Having spent 55 years dreading the big Six-0, decided to be a big boy and embrace it with open arms. So, hired a cinema and cafe-bar for the evening and invited 50 or so friends and family to come and share my Desert Island Mystery Film... The title, 'Whatever Works' more or less sums up my philosophy and, if not the greatest movie ever made, it certainly proved a real delight with us all. Larry David is brilliant as Boris, hitting just the right balance between despair, misery, cynicism and the grudging generosity to give life another chance. One for the middle aged and older, methinks, probably wasted on the young.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is vintage Woody Allen...and as the title of this review states; its Allens take on his own life, supremely delivered by Larry David. Yes, it's funny , especially the cynical monologues that are shot as first person narratives; Allen's bleak, clever, misanthropic take on humanity and our strange predilections, are truth serum for some and deal breakers for others.
As always with Woody Allen films there is the presence of an ingenue, fulfilled admirably by Evan Rachel Woods and which of course, parallels Allens' own penchant for much younger and sometimes inappropriate, women on his arm. In fact, though Allen takes a certain stance at self-parody with his alter-ego Boris, the script and its character's aren't nearly as colourful as the cast in Allens real life, however, they are certainly as self-absorbed and , shall we say; 'quirky'.
Although there are moments of very good writing and laughter, as a whole, the film lacks depth and feels as though it serves as a very long take and backdrop for the occasional clever quip by Boris.
The story lines for the peripheral characters are predictable and shallow , however the last summing -up monlologue to the audience is Allens' 'dans'l'existence; a Shakespearian-esque concoction of the haphazardous and fleeting ephoria of love and all that it represents, or is it just Allen excusing himself for all his messy affairs? You decide- like the title says: Whatever Works!
As always with Woody Allen films there is the presence of an ingenue, fulfilled admirably by Evan Rachel Woods and which of course, parallels Allens' own penchant for much younger and sometimes inappropriate, women on his arm. In fact, though Allen takes a certain stance at self-parody with his alter-ego Boris, the script and its character's aren't nearly as colourful as the cast in Allens real life, however, they are certainly as self-absorbed and , shall we say; 'quirky'.
Although there are moments of very good writing and laughter, as a whole, the film lacks depth and feels as though it serves as a very long take and backdrop for the occasional clever quip by Boris.
The story lines for the peripheral characters are predictable and shallow , however the last summing -up monlologue to the audience is Allens' 'dans'l'existence; a Shakespearian-esque concoction of the haphazardous and fleeting ephoria of love and all that it represents, or is it just Allen excusing himself for all his messy affairs? You decide- like the title says: Whatever Works!
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3.6 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly Entertaining
I really enjoyed this film. Very much a Woody Allen film. Well acted and engaging. I highly recommend this film.
Published 2 months ago by Laura Farmer
5.0 out of 5 stars
funny, witty and with a good existential take on life
An incredibly well thought out film that confirmed a long held conviction of mine about what is really important about life. What is really important about life? Read more
Published 5 months ago by Marco Carnovale
5.0 out of 5 stars
Woody back to his roots....
Woody Allen is certainly an acquired taste - as a younger man I loathed and detested his pathetic out-pourings and just wanted to yell at him to get a life! Read more
Published 8 months ago by Tim Kidner
3.0 out of 5 stars
title shouldn't be taken literally
the film reminded me a lot about his earlier work which i first saw over 20 years ago.
so it has a nostalgia value.
but the title shouldn't be taken literally. Read more
so it has a nostalgia value.
but the title shouldn't be taken literally. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mr. R. Memon
1.0 out of 5 stars
Whatever worked before
Firstly, cards on the table: I would consider myself a Woody Allen fan, as far as that goes. I have all his early/mid-period movies. Read more
Published 9 months ago by R ASPLIN
4.0 out of 5 stars
effortlessly enjoyable
Once again Woody Allen pulls off a superbly entertaining caper, even though it starts out less promisingly than some. Read more
Published 11 months ago by schumann_bg
1.0 out of 5 stars
I don't accept the "romantic" age gap...
This is a revoltingly cynical piece of work with David acting as Allen's cipher. David acts his own words better than he does Allen's. David feels miserable without any humour. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Hill Walker
4.0 out of 5 stars
good film
I wouldnt say it was one of Allens best it has its moments good script some good acting and a reasonable plot, has Allen wrtitten all over it.
Published 11 months ago by K. Davies
4.0 out of 5 stars
It works for me
This is more like a farcical comedy, with a life message; therefore, the acting is what you would expect of the genre. Read more
Published 12 months ago by MC
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant !
I am already a fan of Woody Allen's films, so was hoping that I would like this film and I wasn't disappointed. Larry David filled Woody's shoes very well in the role of Boris. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Librarian
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