WONDER WHEEL

Sooner or later it will all blow over; the guilty will be punished for their crimes and misdemeanours and hopefully the innocent will get their reprieve. I'm speaking, of course, about the current witch-hunt that is happening in Hollywood that has seen a number of artists pilloried by the media for acts that may or may not have been criminal or perhaps just ill-advised or which may not have happened at all.

We are not talking about rape here or even sexual harrassment but about allegations that have yet to be proved. Weinstein, it would seem, went down with the ship and his behaviour was inexcusable, if not criminal, and he deserves whatever he gets. The same may be said for Spacey who seems to have owned up to being a sex addict with a taste for teenage boys which, of course, is a no-no in America where sex with teenagers is a crime but where the same teenagers can go out and legally buy a gun to kill as many people as they have a mind to since that would be their constitutional right.
I am, as you can see, hot under the collar right now and why? Because I have just seen the new film from Woody Allen and I think it's incredible but just before it was due to hit the cinemas those old allegations that Allen sexually abused his adopted daughter resurfaced making Woody this season's number one pariah, despite the fact that he denies the allegations and there is still no proof they ever took place. Still, in the present climate Woody will be guilty until proven innocent, if he ever is and yes, I am angry.

And now to the movie itself. The first thing you notice about "Wonder Wheel" is just how gorgeous it looks. The DoP is Vittorio Storaro and the guy has still got it. Visually this is Allen's most beautiful film since "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy". The next thing you notice is just how good Kate Winslet is. The plot may not be sparklingly original; there are times when it seems he is spinning "Blue Jasmine" again out of the same old yarn and there are certainly times when his dialogue feels a bit clunky but as the film progresses he draws you in. This is a tragi-comedy with the emphasis on the tragic. I don't think it's top tier Allen but it's certainly only one tier down and without the Farrow scandal I am sure Winslet, Juno Temple and Storaro would all have been nominated for the Oscar.
Of course, Allen may or may not be guilty of child abuse; perhaps the hints were there all the time in the likes of "Manhattan", and if, like Polanski, he has committed a crime he should be prosecuted, brought to trial and let a jury decide. But don't find him, or anyone else, guilty on hearsay or on what the media might tell us; fake news is a reality. Meantime, "Wonder Wheel" is a beautifully made, serious picture that should be seen and Kate Winslet should seriously think about playing Blanche DuBois. Instead, it will most likely be shunned by both the public and by critics who really ought to know better. I think it's his most underrated film since "September".