Woody Allen has been short on things to say for a while now. Even his hits, like Blue Jasmine, are recycled territory buoyed by a great lead performance. This is about where Wonder Wheel resides, a bloated melodrama lit up by the neon fixtures of Coney Island, and starring Kate Winslet as a Blue Jasmine-eqsue leading lady. Winslet plays a former actress turned Coney Island waitress married to an alcoholic carousel operator (Jim Belushi). Their story intersects with a runaway woman marked by the mob (Juno Temple) and a handsome lifeguard with a flair for drama (Justin Timberlake).

All of Allen’s dramas waltz around the same routines about evil deeds and the delusions we create to live with our own bad behavior. Of course, Allen’s own behavior is flagrantly relevant both on and off the screen, and Wonder Wheel is more of the kind of confessional narrative that bad male artists use to forgive themselves. Wonder Wheel is lucky to have such a wonderful performance from Winslet. Her fitful, anxious performance feels very similar to Cate Blanchett’s Blue Jasmine work, very mannered and exasperating. Wonder Wheel doesn’t work as well as Jasmine – its premise is too histrionic, its supporting performances bring little to the table – but both films are lead by captivating actresses. At least that is worth watching.

 

Written and Directed by Woody Allen