Wonder Wheel

THE GIST: A lifeguard on 1950s Coney Island recounts the eventful summer of a carousel operator, his jaded wife, and an unexpected visitor, who brings a hefty dose of turmoil into their lives.

Written and directed by Woody Allen, Wonder Wheel is unlike most of his earlier films in that Allen did not cast himself in any role. Still, his imprint is unmistakable, and not entirely in a good way.

I generally like Allen's works, which I find funny, witty, and artsy in equal parts, and always carefully crafted. There isn't really another auteur who can match the breadth and depth of his oeuvre.

Unfortunately, it looks like while Allen didn't see a role for himself in this movie—possibly because of his advanced age—he simply directed Justin Timberlake to be his replacement and act like he would have—neurotic tics and quirks included—which occasionally feels strident.

I've had the pleasure of observing Timberlake in other movies, so I know he can act; it's too bad that he wasn't let loose here and allowed to create his own character—or at least that's how it felt from my couch.

Regardless, two things make this movie worth your time if you like Allen's work: one, Kate Winslet is phenomenal, chewing the scenery out of every scene she's in; two, Vittorio Storaro's cinematography is spellbinding, quickly becoming a character in its own right.

Alas, there's one thing that ultimately dragged my rating down: the overly-theatrical acting makes this feel more like a play than a movie, which to me was not a positive quality.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Still recommendable if you like Allen's work, this wasn't one of his best for me. Still, Winslet is so good she reminded me of an early Bette Davis, dominating scenes and keeping the audience captive.

Grade: 5.5