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Woody Allen: returning to his roots
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Woody Allen is returning to the kind of filmmaking that made him famous. Allen's newest film, Whatever Works, is a strong contrast to many of the films Allen has made in the recent past. Whatever Works has opened in selected theaters, and the reviews are mediocre at best, but that should not deter avid Allen fans, the kind of film-goers who know when to let the critic's words lie on the page.
Whatever Works is the story of a divorced, suicidal New York physicist, Boris Yellnikoff (Larry David), originally it was to be played by Allen, but he wanted a younger lead (though not much younger). Yellnikoff moves to Chinatown and meets Melody St. Ann Celestine (Evan Rachel Wood), a much younger woman, who is a runaway Dixie queen. Celestine is just about Yellnikoff's exact opposite, she is beautiful but dim while Yellnikoff is highly intelligent but short on looks. Yellnikoff and Celestine marry, and eventually Celestine's born-again Christian mother (Patricia Clarkson) comes to town and discovers her own liberation through her daughter.
The film is a return to Allen's roots while being a sharp turn from Allen's most recent films. Match Point, Cassandra's Dream, and Vicky Christina Barcelona all are set in Europe, which has become Allen's new favorite film setting despite decades of making films set in New York. The New York skyline used to be Allen's trademark, and when he began setting films over seas many thought it comparable to Dylan going electric. Allen claimed New York became too expensive a place to make a film. Yet, Allen seemed liberated when he found the ability to free himself from his usual surroundings. Match Point is one of Allen's most successful pictures of all time, and it all but jump-started his career. While Allen's two follow-ups, Scoop and Cassandra's Dream did not do much of anything at the box office, Allen rebounded and astounded with the eccentric, intelligent Vicky Christina Barcelona. Allen's films Match Point and Cassandra's Dream, which by the way was highly underappreciated, were dramatic films. Allen steered away from his almost constant comedic tone to that point in his career, and reinvented himself as a filmmaker proving his writing is resonant, intelligently crafting both comedies and dramas.
Allen wrote Whatever Works in the 1970s, which is one reason it is so similar to his earlier work. The film has not received the kind of stellar reviews Match Point or Vicky Christina Barcelona did. True fans of Allen should realize reviews are not everything, and critics, such as this one, do not know everything. Allen has made a lot of underrated films. One standout is Anything Else. The film was panned by critics and received few viewers at the theaters, but the film is quite funny and entertaining. Jason Biggs plays an aspiring writer, essentially Allen's alter ego personified, and Biggs does a commendable job. The performance is nuanced and very reminiscent of Allen. Christina Ricci plays a spirited, excitable young girl whom Biggs falls for, and she drives him to constant anxiety. while Ricci is not as successful in her performance, Biggs is able to carry the film, aided by supporting performances by Stockard Channing as Ricci's hyper-sensitive mother, and Allen as Bigg's eccentric, unstable confidant. The film is a surprise, and it is a wonder why more people did not appreciate it when it was released.
Allen's newest film is the kind of work he has built his career on. While critics are not enthused by the film, it is up to the viewer to decide if Allen's return to comedy set in New York is welcome or if Allen's European films more successful. Whatever the case may be, Allen is consistent, he makes at least one film every year, writing and directing. At seventy-three Allen is not slowing down, his wit is keen, his writing sophisticated, and his films better then most anything released to hundred-million dollar weekends at the box office.
To learn more about Allen log on to: www.woodyallen.com/
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