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All rather mellow and predictable.
Woody's latest shrewdly upends the filmmaker's own comic pessimisms
After the fiercely enjoyable Vicky Christina Barcelona, this return to New York City is a letdown, though not without a few charms.
The result is a witty, well-played work without an adequate center. If you can get past that, Whatever Works does.
Whatever Works isn't topnotch Woody Allen, but it's still immensely funny.
Whatever Works isn't deep, but with Grandpa Woody, you accept the warmed over, the recycled, just relieved he hasn't made a spectacle of himself.
Whatever works está llena de momentos geniales y divertidos, pero también de cierta humanidad en sus personajes que suele ser disfrazada de sarcasmo. Un verdadero show de Larry David, gentileza de Woody Allen.
Woody Allen's comedy doesn't work- on any level.
People cynically walk into so much expecting disappointment - auditoriums showing Woody Allen's annual crapshoot, for example. Sometimes, they get expected middling results. Sometimes, as with Allen's 30-year-old script, they get unanticipated surprises.
The heart of the film belongs to Wood, Clarkson and Begley Jr., and they provide the biggest laughs. Watching their Southern-charm slowly transformed (corrupted?) by the emotional/artistic/erotic flavours of New York City is a typical Allen-esque treat.
Even when delivering something of a regression, as this film is, (Allen) still packs more laughs and ideas into a film than most filmmakers do into a career.
Even diehard fans might find it a bit of a chore.
It won't win Allen new converts, but for those of faith, it offers consolation.
Whatever Works is a welcome return to Allen's New York roots and enjoyable insofar as it is far wittier than most modern comedies, but it lacks anything fresh to say.
David might be plugging a gap between Curb series, but Allen can do better.
What's Woody Allen's worst film? Look no further.
Tragically making Vicky Cristina Barcelona look like a happy accident, Whatever Works is retro Allen that smacks of desperation.
For all its wobbles, Whatever Works is rooted in an agreeable sensibility: life favours fate over luck more than we'd like to think, so grab whatever chances of happiness come your way.
It's not classic Woody Allen, despite him writing it 40 years ago, but you'll be fairly entertained.
The rhythm of comedy dialogue has changed, yet Allen executes his script in a manner that leaves the cast swimming in a piece that feels curiously dated, like it's a lost picture from yesteryear.
Allen showed us better than anyone what the good times really look like. We can't quite give up on that. We never will.
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