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WHATEVER WORKSMovie Reviews
Comedy about an eccentric, upper class New Yorker who abandons his comfortable lifestyle in favor of leading a more Bohemian existence. Cast:Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Ed Begley, Jr., Patricia Clarkson, Conleth HillDirector:Woody AllenRelease Date:June 19, 2009DVD Release:October 27, 2009From:Sony ClassicsRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 32 min
Whatever Works played in key cities to mixed reviews. • David Ansen wrote in the Newsweek, "...likable but paper-thin... an urban fairy tale with a happy ending that's anything but hard-won." • And Moira Macdonald wrote in the Seattle Times, "...feels assembled from the leftovers Allen found in his fridge. Like anybody's fridge, a few morsels are choice, but most are stale." More Reviews Below...
Whatever Works Positive Reviews (43 Reviews, reviews below)
Richard Corliss, Time: OUTSTANDING "...has that young-Woody fizz with a mature comic romanticism; it's been aged in wit.... years from now, people will say, 'It's terrific, but it's no 'Whatever Works.' ' "(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 857 words, 06/19/09
Lisa Rosman, Us Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "While their icky romance (in real life, she's 21 and he's 61!) plays out predictably, Allen's script offers some laughs and moving moments."(See all of Lisa Rosman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 86 words, 06/18/09
Claudia Puig, USA Today: MODERATE(cg) "...one of the least engaging movies ever by the prolific Allen, a real disappointment after the charms of 'Vicky Christina Barcelona.' "(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 508 words, 06/19/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: WEAK "...sloppy, given the near-total absence of the kind of Lubitschean verve of which Mr. Allen, when he's on his comic game, is capable."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 955 words, 06/19/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...charts a journey for Allen, one from the words of Groucho to the wisdom of Pascal, who informs us, as Allen once reminded us, that the heart has its reasons..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 880 words, 06/25/09
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: WEAK "Long stretches are confined to Boris's duplex apartment and play like third-rate Kaufman and Hart.... players rattle off their lines with the stiffness of a busy summer-stock troupe."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 492 words, 06/08/09
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "As the film creaks along, the attention-getting nastiness of the first half dissipates and it turns into just another Woody Allen overacted sex farce."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 651 words, 06/26/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: POOR(cg) "...just as flat, stale and generally disconnected as the last films Allen cranked out before leaving Manhattan for his dalliance with European investors."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 415 words, 06/25/09
Mick LaSalle, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...middle-tier Allen, better than nothing, suitable for fans (who will appreciate its family resemblance to his other, better movies), but entirely nostalgic in its appeal."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 593 words, 07/03/09
Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News: WEAK(cg) "There's one thing Woody Allen's protagonist wants us to know about him: 'Right off, I'm not a likable guy.' In that spirit, let me say that 'Whatever Works' is not a likable movie."(See all of Tom Maurstad's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 595 words, 06/26/09
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "It's to David's credit that the film bops along with such energy. The actor brings a sort of barbarous glee to the proceedings..."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 651 words, 06/26/09
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...confirms what the last decade of his movies has hinted at: The weakest part of any new Woody Allen movie is when Allen himself is onscreen."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 701 words, 06/26/09
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...isn't topnotch Woody Allen, but it's still immensely funny.... revisits familiar ground in this bittersweet romance between a nubile Mississippi beauty queen and a kvetching New York know-it-all."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 592 words, 07/03/09
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: MODERATE(cg) "...feels assembled from the leftovers Allen found in his fridge. Like anybody's fridge, a few morsels are choice, but most are stale."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 524 words, 07/03/09
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...was originally conceived as a vehicle for Zero Mostel. Now that would have been a kick. This rendering is less than Zero."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 442 words, 07/03/09
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "David is fluent and caustic yet somehow approachable; Wood's ditzy sprite is played with wit and verve; and Clarkson is a ball of drollery and fire..."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 519 words, 07/03/09
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Allen seems to have lost the feel for his hometown. What he hasn't lost is his knack for casting talented women and for writing one-liners..."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 326 words, 07/03/09
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a drastic improvement on the wan, lifeless comedies ('Anything Else,' 'Melinda and Melinda') Allen was cranking out before his European exile."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 678 words, 06/26/09
Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun: POOR(cg) "Larry David is achingly awkward as Boris - you wish he would stop yammering and keep out of sight. David is terrible here, inert and uninflected..."(See all of Michael Sragow's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 619 words, 07/03/09
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...riffs on modern life, as crotchety as they are, will resonate for anyone who spends time shouting back at the nightly news or mumbling during NPR features."(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 562 words, 07/03/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: POOR(cg) "...just as flat, stale and generally disconnected as the last films Allen cranked out before leaving Manhattan for his dalliance with European investors."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 415 words, 06/25/09
Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper: FAIR "Wood, an always-watchable and usually impressive chameleon, keeps up with Allen's quick comic pacing while maintaining her character's sweet loopiness."(See all of Tricia Olszewski's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 658 words, 07/02/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: WEAK "...sloppy, given the near-total absence of the kind of Lubitschean verve of which Mr. Allen, when he's on his comic game, is capable."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 955 words, 06/19/09
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...pretty broad stuff, but Patricia Clarkson is so much more vital and amiable than anyone else that you instantly root for her."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 781 words, 06/15/09
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...its tired handling of so many overly familiar themes eventually proves enervating. As does the utter artificiality not only of the stereotypical characterizations..."(See all of Frank Scheck's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 639 words, 04/23/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: WEAK "...sloppy, given the near-total absence of the kind of Lubitschean verve of which Mr. Allen, when he's on his comic game, is capable."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 955 words, 06/19/09
19.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Whatever Works's reviews are separated by an average 19.2 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Whatever Works (43 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Whatever Works's reviews cover 94.2% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 23,873 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 555 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Whatever Works Coverage, Volume & Length (43 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 4.3 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Whatever Works's reviews on average broke 4.3 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Whatever Works's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Whatever Works (43 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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