On Coney Island in the 1950s, a lifeguard tells the story of a middle-aged carousel operator, his beleaguered wife and the visitor who turns their lives upside-down.On Coney Island in the 1950s, a lifeguard tells the story of a middle-aged carousel operator, his beleaguered wife and the visitor who turns their lives upside-down.On Coney Island in the 1950s, a lifeguard tells the story of a middle-aged carousel operator, his beleaguered wife and the visitor who turns their lives upside-down.
- Awards
- 4 wins & 4 nominations
- Nick
- (as Steven R. Schirripa)
- Flirtatious Man at Ruby's
- (as Thomas Guiry)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWith the exception of Ginny and Humpty's apartment, the movie was shot entirely on location at Coney Island. Many of the existing businesses were altered to resemble shops or restaurants from the 1950s.
- GoofsWhen Justin Timberlake is on his lifeguard stand talking to Kate Winslet, a modern tanker boat cruises by in the distance.
- Quotes
Mickey: Jesus, what a sheltered life I've led. I have book knowledge but you've really tasted life.
Carolina: You've been round the world.
Mickey: Yeah, but you've been around the block. You think you'll always be looking over your shoulder?
Carolina: Everybody dies, you can't walk around thinking about it.
Mickey: You're talking to a lifeguard.
- SoundtracksConey Island Washboard
Composed by Hampton Durand, Ned Kennedy, Claude Shugat & Harold Leroy Whitacre
Performed by The Mills Brothers
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
Set in the 1950s, a messy plot is overlaid with a nostalgic recreation of the noisy atmosphere of Brooklyn's fun fair that is run by social fringe-dwellers with spent dreams. Short-tempered Humpty (Jim Belushi) barely makes a living running the carousel wheel and lives with wife Ginny (Kate Winslett) in a cramped first floor apartment that was once a freak show gallery. The spectacle and noise of the carnival is a constant backdrop to the claustrophobic space that feels like a cage for prowling primates. Humpty struggles to stay off the booze while Ginny is a tormented soul in her loveless marriage. She lives out the memories of her abandoned acting career through a melodramatic affair with lifeguard Mickey (Justin Timberlake), the wannabe scriptwriter and know- all narrator who is always telling us how to interpret the story. Humpty's estranged 25-year old daughter Carolina (Juno Temple) arrives, fleeing from the mob after talking to the FBI and needs a place to hide. She falls for Mickey and Ginny falls apart, but not before she stumbles onto a callous but perfectly undetectable scheme for murder.
Wonder Wheel has all the hallmarks of classic early American theatrical melodrama: the apartment set is designed around semi-enclosed stage rooms and the acting style is hyper-dramatized. It is heavy with dialogue and prolonged monologues that feel as if the film is trying hard to tell rather than show. Humpty's temper tantrums are repetitive, Mickey's pretentious narration is irritatingly self-indulgent and Ginny's self-conscious and over-cooked ramblings become wearying. Like her budding pyromaniac son from her first marriage, she tries to crash and burn the things she hates in life without giving the audience a reason to care. She is desperate to play one of the oldest roles in theatre: the older woman who thwarts her rival for romance, runs away with the younger man, and is set free from her mid-life identity chains. But after the fun of Coney Island, reality must return and the wheel of life keeps spinning.
If you are a fan of theatre the performances might please but as cinema it feels forced. The script, dialogue, and characters are unconvincing, although the filming and period sets are excellent. While Kate Winslet's performance is over-stylised it is memorable for its intensity. In the Weinstein/Trump climate, Woody Allen's work is being shunned by many, but that is not why Wonder Wheel is struggling critically. Simply put, it is far from his best work.
- CineMuseFilms
- Dec 10, 2017
- Permalink
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Vòng Xoay Cám Dỗ
- Filming locations
- Rye Playland, Rye, New York, USA(location)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $25,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $1,404,061
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $125,570
- Dec 3, 2017
- Gross worldwide
- $15,889,124
- Runtime1 hour 41 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.00 : 1
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