6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.2 |
After the failure of his career, his marriage, and his suicide attempt, world-class grouch Boris Yellnikoff, spends his days insulting the small children unfortunate enough to study chess with him and irritating his still-loyal friends with his never-ending tirades about the worthlessness of absolutely everything. A former Columbia Professor and self-proclaimed genius who came close to winning a Nobel Prize for Quantum Mechanics, Boris fancies himself the only one who fully comprehends the meaningless of all human aspirations, and the pitch-black chaos of the universe. As he readily admits, Boris is not a "feel-good person".
Starring: Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Michael McKean, Carolyn McCormickRomance | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, English SDH
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
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!
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 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.
All that's included is BD-Live functionality and 1080p trailers for Whatever Works and An Education.
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.
2010
1995
2015
2015
2014
2014
2003
1996
2002
1955
1947
Warner Archive Collection
1934
Includes "The Shop Around the Corner" on DVD
1998
2020
1937
1967
Warner Archive Collection
1963
Rental Copy
2015
2014
1937