Whatever Works

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Whatever Works

PG-13

Released Jun 19, 2009

1h 32m

Romance

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

50%

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167 Reviews

61%

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25,000+ Ratings

After a failed suicide attempt, brilliant New York misanthrope Boris Yellnikoff (Larry David) forsakes his posh upper-class existence for meager accommodations in Chinatown. He meets his exact opposite in Melody (Evan Rachel Wood), a pageant queen from the Deep South who's long on sweetness but short on smarts. Surprisingly, Boris and Melody marry, but the sparks really fly when Melody's born-again Christian mother (Patricia Clarkson) arrives and finds liberation instead of damnation.

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Critics Consensus

Based upon a script written in the 1970s, Woody Allen's Whatever Works suffers from a lack of fresh ideas.

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David Ansen

Newsweek

This is fun, but it turns Boris's doomsday neurotic rants into mere cartoon caterwauling. Levant, who never got a happy ending, would no doubt sneer.

Feb 6, 2018

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Ed Koch

The Atlantic

Woody Allen is always exploring new avenues. While Whatever Works isn't close to his best films, it is far better than most of the current crop of romantic comedies, most of which are schlock.

Jan 17, 2018

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Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out

Rated: 2/5

Nov 17, 2011

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Sure, you’ve probably seen better Woody Allen movies, and it’s clear the ideas are recycled, but like most Allen fare, the formula works.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 4, 2023

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Jorge Montiel

Clarín

This excellent, entertaining, and intelligent film reaps the rewards of the stupendous acting of its ensemble. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 4/4

Sep 1, 2022

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Andrea Hubert

NME (New Musical Express)

The script is as tight as any Curb episode, as waspish, as bitchy and clever as it should be, and though there is no ground broken here, there is none lost either.

Rated: 3/5

May 19, 2021

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thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, o elenco é fraco, mas ninguém ajudou a melhorar o filme, a história é fraca, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e mais relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/18/25

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Cliff V

Huge fan of Woody Allen, but he has hits and misses...this might be his biggest miss ever!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/13/24

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Daniel G

Pleasant enough Woody Allen movie, with some smiles and even short laughs along the way. The misanthropic protagonist does get on one's nerves after a while, as does the young lady's apparent naivité or acceptance of his truth as hers. Though a short movie, it seemed a bit too long after a while. And the ending obviously was too neat.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/20/24

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Reggie P

It works; dialogues are crispy, every character is well drawn and makes sense.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/27/23

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Alexsander F

Filme gostoso demais. Atuação brilhante de Larry David quebrando a "quarta parede" , é só mais um ingrediente para o filme ser espetacular.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/08/24

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Marc Z

I think the biggest issue is that you would expect a synergy of Woody Allen and Larry David to provide a staggeringly funny film. This film is good, but not of that proportion. David plays, essentially, the same curmudgeon he normally plays, which is a merger of his and Allen's personality. Unlike the David of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm the issue with this David is his demeanor is a little forced. Also, he is a little more aggressive than David actually is in a non-appealing way. It has the structure of an Allen play, and many of the positive aspects of Allen movies. I liked the characters and there are some laughs, but too much left on the table for me.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/30/23

Full Review

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Woody Allen

Director

Larry David

Boris Yellnikoff

Evan Rachel Wood

Melody

Patricia Clarkson

Marietta

Ed Begley Jr.

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Michael McKean

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Synopsis

After a failed suicide attempt, brilliant New York misanthrope Boris Yellnikoff (Larry David) forsakes his posh upper-class existence for meager accommodations in Chinatown. He meets his exact opposite in Melody (Evan Rachel Wood), a pageant queen from the Deep South who's long on sweetness but short on smarts. Surprisingly, Boris and Melody marry, but the sparks really fly when Melody's born-again Christian mother (Patricia Clarkson) arrives and finds liberation instead of damnation.

Director: Woody Allen
Producer: Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum
Screenwriter: Woody Allen
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Wild Bunch, Perdido Productions, Gravier Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Nude Images|Dialogue|Sexual Situations|Thematic Material)
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 19, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.3M
Runtime: 1h 32m

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