The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

RELEASED IN 2009 and written & directed by Woody Allen, "Whatever Works" concerns an aging, misanthropic divorcée in New York City (Larry David) who develops a close relationship with a much younger, unsophisticated, but sprightly Southern belle (Evan Rachel Wood). Patricia Clarkson plays her mother and Henry Cavill a guy that's interested in her. Ed Begley Jr. is on hand as her father. The first 60-70 minutes are amusing as a romantic dramedy with the typical witty dialogues for which Allen is known. The odd relationship between the curmudgeon and the spry girl is actually kind of heartwarming as the bickering gimp starts to become human again. In addition, it's interesting to see Cavill when he was younger, before he donned Superman's cape. But, for me, everything's ruined by the last act, which pushes the typical degenerate "progressive" mindset: Christians should flee their "backwards" morality and their belief in God and come to the big city where they'll discover secular freedom (actually bondage) with its supposedly superior (im)morality. Get real. THE FILM RUNS 1 hours & 33 minutes and was shot in New York City. GRADE: D+

Boris is a kind of the central figure in the movie. He touches everybody and change their life and make them happy, his life changes as well. It's kind of that Boris a supernatural, he knows the meaning of life and knows everything as he know that this is a movie and some people are out there watching them. It should not be surprising that he is depicted as a genius physicist. That would understand the universe and abolish the religion.In the movie, while some's life change to a more untraditional and deviated sexual life, some's go in the "right" direction. Deep religious mother enters into a life of 2 husbands and a wife living together and father enters into a gay relation, whereas the daughter moves from marrying a very old man to a similar age boy friend. So what Woody Allen would want to tell us? Life is unhappy, but after some unexpected coincidences people find their matches ? Reason leads to the wrong matches while the chance produces happy relations? Both premises are broken by the case of Melody. Initially Melody seems to go via the chance and later continue with by match of reason and plan. But one can say Melody and her boy friend were the only young couple, other being elders. Anyway we can't conclude any outcome on these. We can't say that Woody tries to favor perverted relations, because what Boris and Melody finally do is quite acceptable to the society and conventional . I may say the movie is a harsh critic to religious dogmas and taboos and it highlights the the fact that chance could create a happy lives. At least it has a well organized down to earth story and playing is amazing.

Boris is a depressed old man with an attempt of suicide. She mets a young attractive girl but she is homeless so he let's let live with him for a short period of time. Soon Melody begins to fall in love with him and they marry. Melody's mother comes into picture and convinces her daughter and a boy at the same age as her will be more proper. Of course argues are not avoided but the story has a happy ending somehow.This is just a drama of a old man sick with his life and what changes are happening when other peoples involves into his life. But the main flaw for me was Melody. She is presented as a homeless person who is sleeping covered in cardboard boxes but during the movie wears many different clothes and she always has make-up on her face. Pretty unusual for a poor girl right?But still the story manage to maintain you in front of the screen for the entire duration and that is the best aspect about this movie.

If you like Larry David from "Curb Your Enthusiasm," you'll love this 2009 film from Woody Allen, "Whatever Works," starring David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, and Ed Begley Jr.David, as usual, plays an impossible human being, Boris, who "almost was nominated" for either the Pulitzer or Nobel Prize, I can't remember which, a self-described genius who sees nothing but gloom and doom wherever he turns. He sees the world going to hell in a handbasket, and after he finishes describing it, you will, too, if you don't already. I admit it's looking pretty bad.Then he meets Melody, a young runaway southern girl who moves in on him - first she wants food, then, being homeless, she needs a place to stay. Boris winds up marrying her.When her mother (Patricia Clarkson) arrives, she is appalled by the way Boris lives (in a dump) and his advanced age. She immediately sets out to find someone else for Melody. While looking, she also finds herself and becomes an artistic photographer who sleeps with every man she meets. Then Melody's father (Begley) arrives, and I'll stop there.The acting is terrific, with Evan Rachel Wood turning in a wonderful performance as an upbeat, sweet southern gal who is fascinated by Boris even if she doesn't always get what he's saying. Begley is a riot, and Clarkson has a different kind of role for her, less serious but no less intense.Someone on this board said Woody Allen is obsessed with death, sex, and intellect. Whoever said that left out May-December relationships, at which he seems to be an expert. I have no idea whether anything printed about him at the time Blue Jasmine came out is true but there's no denying his interest in the under-25 crowd.This is talky movie with a lot of humor, and we don't have David doing a Woody impression. Rather, he talks more like himself, and some of the dialogue is a riot. And like all of Woody's films, there's a theme. In Match Point, it was luck; In Crimes and Misdemeanors, life goes on after mortal sin, and here it's if you have a chance at happiness, take it. Do whatever works. I liked it.