Woody Allen's 'Wonder Wheel' Brings Melancholic Comedy to 1950s Coney Island

Woody Allen returns to the United States with his third consecutive film shot there, 'Wonder Wheel' (Italian title 'La ruota delle meraviglie'), following 'Irrational Man' and 'Café Society'. The film is a melancholic comedy set in 1950s Coney Island, starring Kate Winslet, Jim Belushi, Justin Timberlake, and Juno Temple. Winslet plays Ginny, a former actress and emotionally unstable waitress; Belushi is Humpty, her rough carousel operator husband; Timberlake is Mickey, a lifeguard aspiring to be a writer; and Temple is Carolina, Humpty's estranged daughter hiding from gangsters. The cinematography is by Vittorio Storaro, who previously worked with Allen on 'Café Society'. The film's locations include Coney Island, Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn, and Brighton Beach. Allen had previously sought Winslet for the role of Nola Rice in 'Match Point'. The film marks a departure from Allen's European 'cinematic tour' that spanned Barcelona ('Vicky Cristina Barcelona', 2008), London ('You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger', 2010), Paris ('Midnight in Paris', 2011), Rome ('To Rome with Love', 2012), and the French Riviera ('Magic in the Moonlight', 2014). The article, written by Margherita Bordino for Artribune, highlights Allen's recurring themes of tormented characters and his focus on female protagonists, though in 'Wonder Wheel' the standout performance may be Belushi's.