WONDER WHEEL
US, 2017, 101 minutes, Colour.
Kate Winslet, Jim Belushi, Juno Temple, Justin Timberlake, Max Caselli, Jack Gore, David Krumholz.
Directed by Woody Allen.
Wonder Wheel. The Wonder Wheel of Coney island, a popular landmark. Brooklyn, Woody Allen’s hometown. One wonders whether there is anything autobiographical in this film. The setting is 1950. Woody Allen would have been 14, turning 15 the end of that year.
At one stage, reviewers and the public were criticising Woody Allen for not being funny. There was a presumption that he would make comedies only. And, we remember, he has made many comedies. But, in 1978, he made Interiors, a homage to the serious films of Swedish diector, Ingmar Bergman. Audiences were puzzled. However, over the decades, he has made many films with serious themes, and acknowledged the influence of filmmakers and playwrights like Federico Fellini or Anton Chekhov. And, many agree that one of his best films he has the 1989 Crimes and Misdemeanours.
There are references to Eugene O’Neill? in the screenplay, and his Long Day’s Journey into Night. There also seemed to be significant references to Tennessee Williams and A Streetcar Named Desire, especially the central character Blanche Dubois – and comparisons were also made with Blanche Dubois with Cate Blanchett’s Oscar-winning performance in Blue Jasmine.
Which is an introduction to the review of this film that does not set out to be funny at all.
The focus of the film is Ginny, who turns 40 during 1950. We find her working as a waitress in a diner in the summer of 1950 at a crowded beach at Coney Island. She feels she is having a life of drudgery. She is worn out by the routines, suffers from frequent migraines. And she has an impossible son, a pyromaniac, continually getting into trouble with authorities, lighting his eyes at school and even in the therapist’s office. Otherwise he is stealing money from Humpty, to whom Ginny is married, and using the money for going to the movies which he loves. (Interestingly, the main poster Woody Allen shows is Winchester 73 with James Stewart and Shelley Winters – one doesn’t usually associate Woody Allen with westerns!).
Not exactly the most intriguing of dramatic setups, but...
However, there are quite some complications. First of all, it should be acknowledged that casting, always interesting with Woody Allen, and performances, are quite striking. Kate Winslet is at her best as Ginny. Jim Belushi has the opportunity to be a middle-aged equivalent of Stanley Kowalski, looking after the carousel on the beach. Juno Temple is Carolina, his alienated daughter who comes back after a divorce from a gangster, having spoken to the FBI and is now marked for death. The other main character is Mickey, who has served in the Navy during the war, is a student of drama with intentions to write plays, a propensity to theorise about drama, tragic flaws and tragedy, quoting Eugene O’Neill?. He also does the narrative voice-over of the film and is played by Justin Timberlake – an interesting, if not always effective, choice.
The colour in the photography is heightened, summer at the crowded beach, bright, sunny, colourful. On the other hand, some of the interior scenes in the upstairs apartment at the beach where the family lives are quite dark.
Mickey is younger, a touch carefree, attracted to Ginny, easily luring her into an affair which brings some love and affection into her life, a growing sense of guilt, embarrassment about the age difference, and an increasing jealousy when Mickey encounters Carolina and she interprets his attentions as flirting. This will ultimately lead to Ginny and her own version of crimes and misdemeanours.
In these years, reviewers are conscious that a Woody Allen film is an annual event and there is pressure on them either to enthuse or to condemn. This reviewer’s feelings about Wonder Wheel the more to the infuse. Ginny is a strong character and her interactions with other characters tend to stay in the memory, partly to condemn, partly to understand – which means that Woody Allen and Kate Winslet have created quite a memorable character.
1. Woody Allen 2017? After almost 50 years of writing and directing? His comic insights? Serious insights?
2. Woody Allen in Brooklyn, his home territory? Coney island and his feel for Brooklyn and the island? The light touch, the underlying serious themes?
3. 1950, costumes, decor, hair, the poster for Winchester 73?
4. Woody Allen and his choice of songs, the use throughout the film, the Coney Island Board, the jazz themes, the popular songs of 1950?
5. Coney Island history, resort for New Yorkers, the beach, the sea, the sand, sunbathing, swimming? The lifeguards? The crowds? The funfair, the carousel, the tower, the rides, Wonder Wheel? The stores, souvenirs, the injuries, seafood…? Humpty and his apartment upstairs? Peter and Fishing? The streets, the local pizza house? The contrast with outside Brooklyn, the gardens in Staten Island?
6. Mickey, his voice-over? His description of Coney island, the background, the people, the summer of 1950? His age, being in the Navy, postponing his studies, the effect of travel, serving for America? Student, interest in drama? The dialogue about the nature of tragedy, tragic flaws? His being bookish, the references? Eugene O’ Neill? His planning to write plays? The references to Long Day’s Journey into Night? His dialogue and the blend of serious and the pretentious? The summer, his work as a lifeguard? His gradual revelation of the affair with Ginny? His portrait of Ginny? The situation, seductive, the effect on him? How well did he assess the effect on her? The different rendezvous points on the beach, under the pier? Taking her to Staten Island, dressing up and enjoying it? His empathy for her and appreciating her love? The book for her birthday? The discussions, meeting Carolina, talking with her, chatting with him on the beach, giving her a lift in the rain, confiding in him, the attraction? The effect on Ginny, the jealousy, arguing with him? His reactions? The gift of the watch and its expense? His throwing it away? His going to visit his friend Jack and get advice from him? Going for the meal, with Carolina, declaring his love, letting her walk away by herself?
7. Ginny, her story, family background, her work in acting when young, her experiences of drama, the theatre, meeting her husband, marrying him, pregnant with Richie? The actor on stage, his closeness, her infidelity? Her husband’s anger and leaving? The effect on Richie? A sense of guilt, regrets? The going to work in diners? Having some education but lacking? Her dreams and hopes? The encounter with Humpty, his saving her? Then marrying? The story Carolina, absent for five years, her turning up and the effect on Ginny? Yet Carolina getting a job, working with her, the uniforms? The drudgery? The apartment, Carolina moving in? Ginny, the noise and her frequent migraines? Her relationship with her son, his being a pyromaniac, the variety of fires, at school, her exasperation with him? His always going to the movies, Ginny finding him there? His stealing the money from Humpty? Meeting Mickey, the affair, its effect, the worry, yet her love for him? The experience of affection? Time passing, the excuses to go out, the phone calls? The discussions about drama and tragedy? Carolina and Ginny meeting Mickey? The beginnings of jealousy, hearing the stories from Carolina, her moods? Not going fishing with Humpty and his friends? The gangsters arriving, searching for Carolina, being put off? Her 40th birthday, the touches of desperation? The party, everybody enjoying themselves, her going to the bedroom, Carolina coming to talk seriously with? Her anxiety because of the jealousy? Carolina saying she was going out for a pizza? The gangsters reappearing, Ruby telling them where Carolina was, Ginny’s desperation in finding a phone on the board walk, phoning the pizza place and trying to warn about the gangsters, her hesitation, her hanging up? The guilt of her betrayal?
8. Richie, his age, memories of his father, relationship with his mother, acting out, the range of fires, going to the movies, stealing the money from Humpty, the police chasing him, the fire at school, going to the therapist, the fire in her office, his mother going with him, confronting him, her exasperation? The final image of the film, his lighting yet another five and watching it?
9. Humpty, ordinary, his age, in charge of the merry-go-round, limited money, the memory of his wife, the sadness of her death? Carolina, at 20, in love with the gangster, Humpty is warning her, her walking out? Absent for five years? The encounter with Ginny, rescuing her, marrying? His dislike of Richie, the issue of the fires, Richie stealing his money? The gangsters arriving, his urging them away, the unlikelihood that Carolina would return to him? Yet her return and his anger, relenting, saving the money for the education, her working the diner? His friends and fishing, Ginny not wanting to go? The migraines? The birthday celebration, his friends? The news about the gangsters? His drinking, Ginny drinking? His realising what it happened, accusing her?
10. Carolina, her mother and father? The mother’s death? Falling in love with the gangster? Giving up everything for him? Leaving, marrying, his treatment of her, her information about the gangsters and crimes? Her leaving? A marked woman, arriving, finding Ginny, Ginny not wanting her, Ginny being afraid? Her angry father, his change, letting her stay in the apartment? As a waitress, awkward? The study classes? The chance encounter with Mickey, seeing him as a lifeguard on the beach, in the rain, giving her the lift, her talking openly, telling her story? The effect, the interpretation of Mickey’s flirting and interest? The 40th birthday party, talking things over with Jenny? Not understanding Ginny’s reaction, the jealousies? Mickey inviting her out, the meal, at the restaurant, declarations of love, her walking home – and her disappearance?
11. The influence of Eugene O’ Neill on the plot and on the characters? Ginny as the mother and her memories of other times? Ginny also seen in the perspective of A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche Dubois?
