Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Whatever Works Blu-ray Movie Review

Woody Allen's latest translates well to Blu-ray, but without special features.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 11, 2009

People make life so much worse than it has to be.

The theme of Whatever Works is, well, "whatever works," unless, of course, that includes a Conservative ideology, faith in a religious belief, or membership in the National Rifle Association. As such, the title itself seems a contradiction in terms, but at least the movie picks and chooses "whatever works" with a semblance of wit, showmanship, and even a slight bit of charm. Certainly not Woody Allen's crowning achievement but something of an average entry into the storied filmmaker's body of work, Whatever Works earns most of its points as something of a return to form for the director. A New York setting, an unapologetic script, and a style that does a fantastic job of placing the audience not in the middle of the multiplex but seemingly in the front row of the playhouse, Whatever Works feels like trademark Allen through and through.

What works for me? A pink top and yellow pants!

Boris Yellnikoff (Larry David, "Curb Your Enthusiasm") has led a topsy-turvy life. Speaking to the audience that only he can see, he describes himself as a genius but not a particularly good person, a one-time "almost" award winner of a Nobel Prize in Physics, a refugee from a broken marriage, and a survivor of a suicide attempt. Though he has "no desire but to be isolated from the world," Boris thrives on sharing his opinions and demeaning those he finds to be of a lesser intellectual, political, or cultural mindset or background, humiliating even those young children to whom he attempts to teach the game of chess for a modest living. That all changes when he returns home one day to find a young runaway, a Southern girl named Melodie St. Ann Celestine (Evan Rachel Wood, Across the Universe), begging for food and shelter outside his apartment. He begrudgingly lets her in, and despite Boris' tactless observations and somber outlook on life, she develops a crush on the man several times her age, a crush that threatens to break Boris out of his shell -- or at least allow him to peek outside of it.

There's much more to Whatever Works; it's the sort of story that quickly builds upon itself, introducing new characters, themes, and ideas throughout its moderately short runtime that frequently reshape not the tone but rather the complexity of the movie. The result is a consistently fresh, somewhat entertaining, if not a bit too self-righteous motion picture that moves towards an inevitable conclusion where every character discovers "whatever works" for them. Invariably, the characters come to be influenced by a central figure in the film: New York City. Whatever Works plays on the notion of big city liberalism versus small town Southern beliefs and derives its primary conflict from several of the characters' lack of understanding and outright rejection of a more liberally-rooted way of life and their gradual transition from one lifestyle to another. The downfall stems from the rapidity of the transition; though Melodie's is something of a more natural transformation, that of other characters that appear later in the film seem far too rushed. It's not that the notion that life in the big city can alter a belief system is necessarily flawed or unbelievable (such is the theme of plenty of films), it's that the transition -- at least as it's presented in Whatever Works -- seems hasty at best and disingenuous at worst.

Despite its flaws, Whatever Works does succeed on several base levels. Allen's script is appropriately witty and sometimes downright hilarious, and Larry David is a master of dialogue delivery and clever retorts, making the two a perfect match. Though the material is by-and-large scripted, David's ability to mold it into something more personal -- something that seems deeply-held and rooted in life experience rather than just lines meant to establish a character -- is remarkable. David's performance -- from the dialogue to the limp that's a constant reminder of his failed suicide attempt -- brings the character alive and makes Whatever Works worth watching if for nothing other than his fine performance. Whatever Works also takes on the feel of a live performance rather than filmed entertainment. Not only does David's character break the so-called "fourth wall" through his dialoguing with the audience, but dialogue delivery, character mannerisms, the interior set designs, and Allen's directorial style all lend to the film the feel of a stage production; the material, in fact, does seem more suited to the stage, and while it works in the filmed medium, it would be interesting to see it play out in a different venue.

Whatever Works Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Whatever Works features an altogether satisfying 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. A moderate-to-heavy layer of film grain accompanies the image throughout the entirety of the film; those that dislike copious amounts of grain over their high definition images will want to avoid this one. Nevertheless, the grain only adds to what is, generally, an exceptional high definition image that delivers a wonderful film-like quality. Whatever Works features several locations that greatly benefit under the 1080p spotlight. The fine details of the brick façades as seen outside the café in the early minutes of the film take on an altogether realistic appearance; the rough edges and mortar showcase a texture that almost begs to be touched. Likewise, the small details to be found throughout Boris' apartment -- chipped paint, dusty shelves, or scuff marks on a file cabinet, for instance -- thrive in every scene. There is also a wonderful sense of depth to the image. However, backgrounds sometimes look soft and undefined; clumps of leaves on trees lining city streets sometimes look like a smeared mass of color. Generally, colors are natural in tone; whether the aforementioned green foliage or some of Melodie's brighter outfits, the transfer handles every hue with precision. Black levels never present a problem, but flesh tones take on a terribly red tint throughout. All in all, Whatever Works works well on Blu-ray, making for another film-like transfer from Sony.

Whatever Works Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Whatever Works features a fine but sonically uninteresting DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. There's little to speak of here; the soundtrack is terribly basic, dialogue-heavy, and features little-to-no surround activity. Dialogue reproduction is incredibly strong; every syllable is forcefully delivered and clearly understood. The film's score -- a mixture of styles with heavy usage of Classical and Big Band with a sprinkling of more modern flare -- sounds fantastic, crisp, and clear across the entire dynamic range. Said music swells across the front with a perfect volume and superb clarity. There's surprisingly little immersive ambience in the outdoor scenes, particularly considering the nature of the New York locales that one would expect to be abuzz with random sound effects. Nevertheless, Whatever Works sounds just fine for what it is and needs to be.

Whatever Works Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All that's included is BD-Live functionality and 1080p trailers for Whatever Works and An Education.

Whatever Works Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Something of a lukewarm entry into the annals of Woody Allen's filmography, Whatever Works delivers an occasionally amusing, mildly thought-provoking, and fairly one-sided take on life in the big city. If nothing else, Whatever Works features a thoroughly satisfying performance from Larry David; it transcends his outlook on life and, agree or disagree with his none-too-subtle beliefs and observations about the world around him, the performance alone is well worth the price of admission. Sony's Blu-ray release of Whatever Works delivers a wonderfully film-like transfer, a subtle but adequate-in-context lossless soundtrack, and virtually no special features. Recommended for Woody Allen and/or Larry David fans, but Whatever Works works best as a rental for most.