Wonder wheel – a movie review
by The Flamingo
It’s no secret that I am a huge Woody Allen fan. I love all of the movies he has directed and written and I’m trying to keep up with his new works every year. I stumbled recently upon his 2017 “Wonder Wheel”, starring Kate Winslet and Justin Timberlake. Everyone who watched Woody Allen’s films knows what to expect: it’s either a black comedy or a drama or a … DRAMA. This one is definitely a DRAMA from the “Blue Jasmine” category.
I find “Wonder wheel” to be every woman’s secret fear. The main character, Ginny, played by the very talented Kate Winslet, is a 40 year old wife and mother, who settled…and settled a lot. Crushed youth dreams and career, a son with psychological problems, an alcoholic and aggressive husband whom she doesn’t love but feels grateful to, mediocre job, poverty, ageing, jealousy of her beautiful young stepdaughter Carolina…need I say more? Yes, I say these are a woman’s worst fears, or at least mine for sure.
Mickey, played by the surprising (in a good way) Justin Timberlake, a young lifeguard, student, who believes himself a writer and a poet, a “deep” human being with an attraction towards the dramatic and damsels in distress. He is consumed with thoughts about himself and human nature and thrives from posing as a knight in shining armor, who rescues unhappy and wronged women. But he fails miserably…twice.
The two of them have a summer fling, on the eastern shore boardwalk of beautiful Coney Island. The movie’s plot is very simple, but oh so complicated with all sorts of human emotions in a very Woody Allen kind of way.
What I liked most about this film was the visual design, specifically the spectacular role the light played. Most scenes were shot at sunset and the characters were always bathed in orange sunlight whenever they held a monologue or an intense dialog, the same way it’s done on the scene of the theater. The sunset enhances the warmth of the red hues in Ginny’s hair, the honey yellow in Carolina’s blonde trestles, the soft beige and greens in their eyes and clothes. This film is truly a masterpiece from the artistic point of view.
What I found heartbreaking and tough to digest were Kate Winslet’s monologues, her chaotic trail of thoughts, which was dramatic at times, but also hilarious in a very disturbing kind of way.
Without mentioning any spoilers, I applaud Woody Allen’s work yet again and the beautiful performance of all the actors, especially Kate Winslet’s. Although I personally prefer his comedies, his dramas are truly the outstanding ones.
Photo from Flamingo‘s archive.
