Wonder Wheel
To steal one of the writer/director’s old jokes, Woody Allen’s latter-day movies can be divided into two categories: the horrible and the miserable. His newest, Wonder Wheel, has the unprecedented distinction of being both—it’s a toothless, slipshod reshuffling of Allen’s usual lazy tropes (miserable) and an incontrovertible reminder of the appalling rumors that surround his personal life (horrible). This particular cultural moment, with new sexual abuse and assault allegations exposed daily, seems to be the reacting agent that’s contaminated Allen’s legacy for good.
by Ned Lannamann