WONDER WHEEL

Jim Belushi     Kate Winslet     Juno Temple     Justin Timberlake

     Wonder Wheel is classic Woody Allen, even to one of the characters taking on his persona (a common motif in his films).  It’s his typical family drama in which relationships are tested and sometimes remain intact and sometimes not.  Humpty (intended reference to Humpy Dumpty?), played by Jim Belushi is somewhat down and out, but is managing to squeek by as a mechanic at the Coney Island Amusement Park.  He’s married to one of the waitresses at a clam shack, Ginny (Winslet), a chronically disappointed (with everyone and everything) woman who often appears to be doing her best, but consistently freaks out and has migraines.  One big problem is her son from her first marriage, a budding arsonist—which doesn’t bode at all well for his future.

     Ginny feels trapped in her marriage to Humpty, whom she has managed to wean off alcohol, but is bored with, and has become involved with the lifeguard Mickey (Timberlake).  But everyone has to go into emergency mode when Humpty’s enchanting daughter Caroline (Temple) appears at the door one day.  Her father disowned her after she married a mobster against his advice, but now she is desperate with no place to go (her mother died), begging her father to take her in.  She appears to be very sincere in recognizing her mistakes of the past, and genuinely tries to make positive changes, helping Ginny in the restaurant (making some mistakes along the way) and taking classes.  Her father is overjoyed that she has seen the error of her ways and wants to help her continue with her education.  But tension stays high, as we learn that her ex-husband’s cronies are looking for her because she “knows where the bodies are buried.”  So her life is in danger.

     Then fate seems to do its work, along with coincidences and human weaknesses.  Conflict heightens when no one seems to “get” Ginny; her husband, Mickey, and Caroline all misunderstand her in very different ways—none of them seeming to know what to do as they gain insight into her past and present experience.  It becomes a chaotic Woody Allen scenario. 

     The four main characters fit their roles hand-in-glove.  Belushi knows very well how to play the underdog man who has had to fight for everything he has, but isn’t the brightest bulb in the room.  Winslet is extraordinary in portraying a woman deeply disturbed who somehow manages to cope outwardly with everyday practical issues.  It’s just in the emotional areas she shows bewilderment and even hysteria, and her judgment falters.  Timberlake manages to pull off the man you both admire and become impatient with, depending on the situation.  He shows the character’s great efforts in being open and honest and still being oblivious to its consequences.  Juno Temple as the blonde, sexy, young Caroline, balances out her appearance with thoughtful consideration of those around her, and has clearly learned from her mistakes.  She is the most interesting character, showing adaptability to change and the only one not blaming others for her mistakes.

     The production is weakened by 1) appearing too “stagey” at times (you could swear you’re watching a play); 2) including the part about Ginny’s son withD psychological problems (which doesn’t seem to fit in the story and is left completely unresolved); and 3) by replaying standard Allen themes.  I though it ironic when Ginny, starting to feel suspicious, grills Caroline about whether Mickey took her hand, touched her, or kissed her. She is obviously over-reacting, but in view of the current news stories about powerful men preying on younger women, it’s an odd thing to include in a current film.  Because of Allen’s own family situation, one wonders upon whom he is basing the Ginny character.

     On a more positive note, the music—which I assume are jazzman Woody’s selections—captures so well the mood of each scene, especially the views of the amusement park and the merry-go-round.  The music merges with the story and lifts the movement of each scene.  Cinematographer Vittorio Stararo’s camera and palette elevate the production artistically.

A classic Woody Allen production.

Grade:  B-                                    By Donna R. Copeland

CAFE SOCIETY

Steve Carell   Jesse Eisenberg   Kristin Stewart   Corey Stottt

          This is classic Woody Allen with the sharp dialog, serendipitous meetings, and an account of human attractions and their quixotic twists and turns.  Allen is so good at setting up human dilemmas in a way that is fanciful but still realistic to everyday life.  A woman has to choose between two very different men; she makes her choice, but her path, directed by another, continues to connect with the road she did not take.  In this, Allen pits romantic love (which may or may not be lasting) against a stable relationship.  Who’s to say which is better?  I think he tosses that dilemma out to us in this case to decide for ourselves.

          We have the Hollywood mogul Phil Stern (Carell) surrounded by Hollywood glitterati of the time (the ‘30’s).  He’s so caught up in the glamour, he has trouble remembering his nephew Bobby (Eisenberg) who has come from Brooklyn to ask him for a job.  He’s basically a good guy, so tries to help Bobby find a place in his organization.  He also asks one of his assistants, Vonnie (Stewart), to show Bobby around Hollywood.  The two hit it off; he’s smitten right away, but she lets him know that she is already seeing someone.  That person seems to be out of town a lot, so Vonnie and Bobby spend lots of time together.

         Allen is clever in weaving together complexities in relationships, and this is an example of how his stories can be aching and comical at the same time.  In the midst of it, he illustrates how the rumor mill works and how impossible it is to keep something secret (taking examples from his personal life, no doubt).  An additional twist to this drama is Bobby’s life back home in New York.  He has an older brother (Stott) whom he adores, and is seemingly unaware of Ben’s shady business deals.  When things go south for Bobby, he decides to move back to New York and join Ben in opening a night club, which seems to be good for Bobby in maturing and becoming a successful businessman.

          Allen invariably puts his own persona into his films, and Bobby plays that role here in his Jewish background, family, values, and neuroticisms.  Eisenberg pulls it off beautifully, maintaining Bobby’s appeal without going over the top into obnoxiousness or being insufferable—as sometimes happens with these roles.  Carell is proving time and again that he is a gifted actor, able to blend into serious roles as well as comedy, which he was originally known for.  Stewart won awards for her performance in Clouds of Sils Maria, and she shows the same level of talent here as a woman caught in a major dilemma. 

      As a musician as well as a director, Woody selected the jazz numbers playing throughout this film, which heightened whatever mood he was going for and increased the enjoyment of the picture.  Vittorio Storaro’s stunning cinematography has the same effect by using angles and colors to intensify the depth of the viewer’s experience.  This is a visually beautiful picture showing mostly the elite in Hollywood and New York, but with references to the seamier side of life in both places.

          I think Woody Allen lives up to his reputation in Café Society as a gifted filmmaker who does much of the work himself.  The dialog he writes is always crisp and full of tragic-comic witticisms, e.g., a man bleeding on the sidewalk from “cranial ventilation.”  He is also the narrator in this film, which gives it an added touch of interest.

Gifted filmmaker Woody Allen scores again.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

IRRATIONAL MAN

 Joaquin Phoenix     Emma Stone     Parker Posey

Abe (Phoenix) is a very good but disconsolate philosophy professor who teaches summer classes at a university lecturing on rational arguments about different approaches to understanding life.  It’s a bit surprising then when he comes up with an irrational plan for solving a problem that is not even his own.  Nevertheless, this plan gives meaning to his life, and he immediately becomes purposeful and even ebullient; hence, the title of the film, Irrational Man.

           Right from the start, it’s troubling to see Abe continually drinking booze from a flask in his pocket.  He is known as a controversial figure from his published works and his lectures.  When he is aggressively pursued by colleague Rita (Posey), he easily gives in, although depression keeps him from performing up to his ideal.  He holds off on another crush from a student, Jill (Stone), as long as he can, insisting simply on friendship; but she is also persistent, and he succumbs to her as well.  One day, she gets caught up in a conversation going on in the restaurant booth next to them, and has him come closer so he can hear.  From this brief snippet of information, Abe comes up with his plan.

           Writer/director Woody Allen often comes up with moral dilemmas (e.g., Crimes and Misdemeanors, Magic in the Moonlight, Match Point), as a way of telling a story; this one, like some of his others, having to do with murder.  He is careful to set the stage so that the act has a certain degree of justice and righteousness to it.  Allen’s interest also seems to be in illustrating the self-righteousness of academics and women’s naiveté, and sometimes lack of a moral compass. 

           Phoenix captures the moody philosopher’s role, and easily transitions to the man who has come up with an answer that satisfies his need to help someone in trouble and vent his anger toward the system.  Stone is just as good at playing a bright young woman who is able to challenge an older intellectual by asking probing questions and having a mind of her own.  Posey carries off a devil-may-care attitude in going after what she thinks will save her from life in a rut.

           Irrational Man is light fare, but becomes interesting in its twists and suspense during the last half of the feature.

An irrational plan to relieve an existential crisis.

Grade:  B                         By Donna R. Copeland