Woody Allen’s Whatever Works Trailer Starring Larry David

Posted by on May 8th, 2009   Filed under: Comedy, Trailers

whateverworksposter

I’m not sure what it is, but for some reason Woody Allen is one director that I just can’t seem to get into. He certainly has his share of both fans and detractors, but for me, there’s just something about his sense of humour that feels a little too broad and theatrical for my taste. Still, every time he puts out a new movie I think to myself, “Maybe this will be the one that wins me over.” And then a few months later I have forgotten about it. I’ve still been meaning to catch Vicky Cristina Barcelona, but alas it doesn’t seem to be getting any closer to the top of my “Must Watch” pile.

All that being said, his latest film Whatever Works could actually be the one that wins me over! There’s one big reason for this, and I’m sure you can guess what it is. The movie stars Larry David, writer and star of Curb Your Enthusiasm. I’m a big fan of Larry David… heck, I even liked his ill-fated directorial dud Sour Grapes. Watching the newly released trailer for Whatever Works, there are moments where I think the personalities of Larry David and Woody Allen are a perfect match on screen. However, there are other times when the words coming from Larry David’s mouth simply don’t sound like his own. I’m not quite sure how it will play out. The movie co-stars Ed Begley Jr., Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, and Michael McKean. What do you think, is this the closest we’ll get to Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Movie? Whatever Works hits select theatres on June 19th.



  • dirrrtyfrank

    If the goal of this movie is to make Larry David NOT funny, I think it might work.

    Everything about it feels so written and even worse the stuff that’s written isn’t funny.

    I’m not giving up hope yet … but that was one of the worst previews for a comedy I’ve ever seen.

  • dan

    I’m a fan of the Woody Allen classics, but haven’t liked or seen much of his stuff from the past decade or so. I’m a big Larry David fan like you, Sean, and will probably check this movie out because of David. Trailer wasn’t that bad; I laughed a little. However, that’s probably the blandest one-sheet I’ve ever seen.

  • Fielding

    Woody Allen’s sense of humour feels a “little too broad”?? Ladies and gentlemen, we have finally found the dumbest observation to ever be embarrassingly posted on the Internet. Congratulations, sir.

  • “Woody Allen’s sense of humour feels a “little too broad”?? Ladies and gentlemen, we have finally found the dumbest observation to ever be embarrassingly posted on the Internet. Congratulations, sir.”

    Fielding, even though I have no control over this site, i’m going to take the liberty to ban you myself for mocking Sean.

  • aaaah, the most embarrassing observation ever to be posted on the internet is: “Woody Allen is still banging his adopted daughter”

  • Fielding: Thanks for the angry retort. Maybe broad isn’t the word I was looking for. I don’t mean broad as in dick and fart jokes, I mean that his jokes draw attention to themselves, and try so hard to be funny, and in doing so they actually aren’t funny. But maybe I just haven’t seen the right movies.

  • “I mean that his jokes draw attention to themselves, and try so hard to be funny, and in doing so they actually aren’t funny.”

    This is very true. I think this movie looks okay but the scenes where Larry David is talking to the audience is proof of that point.

  • I actually feel like a lot of the humor in Woody Allen films is more subtle than it seems. While the punchlines can be obvious, the joke lies in such off-kilter, snaking, absurdist logic that it’s usually not so immediate. I also think you have to really understand (and perhaps share) his perspective on humanity and human nature to really appreciate most of his humor.

    And if you can’t get down with Annie Hall… I don’t even know what to say.

    He is one of my favorite directors, though. Personally I find things I like in pretty much every film he’s done, even the weaker ones. But, I wouldn’t give up on him until you’ve seen Sleeper, Annie Hall, Manhattan, Stardust Memories, Radio Days, and Bullets Over Broadway. After that? You can’t be helped.

  • Also, rus in chicago…. that’s not exactly true. I’m not say shit isn’t weird… hell, Allen admits he likes their relationship because he can be sort of a father figure… but, she wasn’t his adopted daughter. Soon-Yi was adopted by Mia Farrow and another guy, then Woody Allen dated Mia Farrow (they never married or lived together) and we all know how it went from there.

  • Sinappi

    Seems like Larry David is playing Woody Allen.

  • Chickadee

    How someone can say negative things about a director that they admit they haven’t even watched much of in the last decade is beyond me. For those of you who said that the movie didn’t sound like Larry David’s words, it’s because they’re not Larry’s, they’re Woody Allen’s words. Sheesh. Allen is over most people’s heads.

  • Tomas

    Yes, you need to be neurotic to understand Allen.

  • Poor larry , he didn’t know that Woody Allen would screw him up so badly with this film. Either LArry is going brain dead which I doubt, or Woody wanted to screw him, and last I checked Woody was laughing out loud on MAdison Avenue as another star wanted to be in one of his films before he dies. DON” T WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THIS FILM! It is for idiots.