Early scenes in Woody Allen's latest, 'Whatever Works,' starring Larry David as a philosophically inclined misanthrope, remind moviegoers of how much the legendary writer-director enjoys playing with ideas. Boris Yellnikoff (David) has a story of woe and blunder to tell. On a Manhattan sidewalk, his friends encourage him to do just that. And so he addresses us, the invisible audience. And his 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. He's a mean guy for sure, habitually referring to other lesser mortals as 'imbeciles' and 'idiots.' The Nobel Prize almost-ran for quantum physics is a walking thesaurus of intellectual insults. Real ideas like this can be in short supply. So even minor Woody Allen can be interesting. And 'Whatever Works,' which stars Evan Rachel Wood as the Southern runaway who makes her way into Boris' curdled heart, and Patricia Clarkson and Ed Begley Jr. as her parents, is willfully minor. After the fiercely enjoyable 'Vicky Christina Barcelona,' this return to New York City is a letdown, though not without a few charms. The chief one is Clarkson, the mother of Boris' childlike bride. Marietta arrives as a Bible-quoter whose husband has left her. Shortly after, she's discovered to be a gifted 'outsider artist.' It may not be credible, but Marietta's transformation from boozy housewife to bohemian floozy is amusing. Wood, quite gifted but out of her depth comedically, is less compelling as Melody. The character feels overblown yet underdone. She shows up a bit like Eve Harrington, huddled in the cold asking Boris for help. Though hardly conniving, she doesn't look to be going away. The running jokes revolving around Melody's blond (beauty-pageant) dumbness have a retro quality. Allen wrote the initial version of 'Whatever Works' for Zero Mostel. The comically gifted actor died in 1977. Of course, there are topical updates -- in particular the fluidity of sexual identity. Yet too much feels dated. When Melody's parents arrive -- separately -- they overperform their religiosity with relish. No doubt the theater of religion is the point. And David's character wields his shtick of misanthropy with the same self-conscious verve. There's not a lot of discovery left for Allen (or us) in the likes of Boris. But David's not to blame for the movie's missteps. As columnist James Wolcott once suggested, cynics are typically deeply disappointed optimists. And David's portrayal makes this palpable. 'Whatever Works' resembles a winking parlor comedy, unfolding in the rundown quarters of Boris' New York City apartment. Marietta courts a handsome, age-appropriate mate for her Melody. Playing that good-looking suitor, Henry Cavill offers an undeniable contrast to aging, condescending Boris. As the mother of the bride says in the Sprint ad when a stunt-groom arrives: 'Jackpot.' Full of windy, Tennessee Williams pronouncements and drawl, 'Whatever Works' suggests that Allen hasn't updated his take on Southerners since the 1970s. After traveling Europe for his last four films, the New Yorker's back on home turf. And he's discovered some truly foreign folk. (info box) 'Whatever Works' Two and a half out of four stars PG-13 for sexual situations including dialogue, brief nude images and thematic material. 1 hour, 32 minutes. Written and directed by Woody Allen; photography by Harris Savides; starring Ed Begley Jr., Patricia Clarkson, Larry David, Conleth Hill, Michael McKean, Evan Rachel Wood. 