Movies

Allen's penchant for pairing increasingly older leading men with nubile actresses in their early 20s has gone beyond parody into a kind of fugue state. But Whatever Works reinvigorates the formula, in part because the script was written before it was established.

Michelle Pfeiffer has grace, class and bite befitting a woman who is paid to love. She is hard on the outside but her rare moments of vulnerability are subtle and striking.

Send repertory film listings to molly.eichel@citypaper.net.