Thursday, January 11, 2018

Clam Shack

https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/charlespoet/episodes/2018-01-10T21_37_41-08_00

Watching Wonder Wheel and eating clams.
I believe it’s how Woody would have wanted it.
If I’m wrong there’s nothing that can be done about it now.

Watching Wonder Wheel and enjoying all the bright colors.
I won’t say Woody hit it out of the park, but the film works and that’s more than I can say about many of his later films.
The songs he has chosen and their placement is also expertly executed and makes me smile and tap my toes.

Kate Winslet is an anguished joy to watch and Jim Belushi channels a lesser Brando which is no small feat because Jim Belushi more often than not does nothing for me.
I won’t tell you I’m enjoying Justin Timberlake’s performance, but he is given the uncomfortable task of playing Woody’s character and no one but Woody can ever truly pull that off.
Juno Temple honestly made no impression on me. I’ve changed my mind. Juno Temple is a rising starlet!

Watching Wonder Wheel as Coney Island rears its ranshackled head and reminds me of another time when beauty was in the eye of the beholder and the beholder was beautiful.
The allegations against Woody can go jump in the lake. I’m not defending him. I’m just not ready to get out my pitchfork and run him out of Tinseltown.
Wonder Wheel feels inspired more than stilted like many of his later films and I pray he continues to find inspiration and that when he finds himself going through the motions that he stops and takes a deep breath.

Charles Cicirella
1/7/18

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