Whatever Works (2009)

Happiness doesn't always come in the shape you expect, and sometimes the secret is simply to grab whatever works. Woody Allen's cynical sensibility fits so perfectly with Larry David's prickly misanthropy that it's surprising it took them this long to team up on a starring vehicle. Fans of both, especially devotees of David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," will enjoy how "Whatever Works" finds humor in life's darkest and most abrasive corners. At the heart of this odd love story is Boris Yellnikoff (David), a brilliant, grumpy retired physicist in New York, and Melodie (a delightfully surprising Evan Rachel Wood), a sweet, naive Southern runaway and former beauty queen with a heart of gold and not much going on upstairs. Boris reluctantly takes her in and makes her his personal project, schooling her in the bleak truths of the world, while she brightens his life with home cooking and Fred Astaire movies, and before long the mismatched pair are married. Patricia Clarkson is terrific as Melodie's devout, tightly wound mother, and Ed Begley Jr. plays her father, a hard-line Southern conservative. When they arrive in the big city to reclaim their wayward daughter, the clash between the Southerners and the New Yorkers sets off sparks, some funny and some a little alarming. The film works thanks to the unlikely chemistry between its two stars and David's fearlessly sour performance, which isn't exactly comforting to watch but is undeniably brilliant. Together, the oddball couple helps each other find a bit more meaning in life. "Whatever works" turns out to be a simple but surprisingly wise recipe for happiness.