Allen’s latest worth a whirl

Winslet – and the film – peaks with a stirring monologue that sees Allen’s camera so close to her face you half expect her to bang her head off it.

Belushi, though, must have been hoping for better for his most high-profile role in nearly a decade; the 63-year-old has some decent lines but can’t rescue his detestable character.

Timberlake supplies small doses of charm but continues to prove a surer hand behind the microphone, wowing thousands of concertgoers than emoting on a cinema screen.

Not so much a love triangle as more of a love square, Allen seems to have a better time tossing figurative hand grenades at long-term and burgeoning romances than blessing anyone with anything approaching a happily ever after.

Indeed, darkness runs throughout the veteran director’s latest offering, with Ginny becoming more and more isolated against the perils of the world.

Given the real-life controversy surrounding Allen and his past, there’s no escaping the discomfort you feel watching the way he treats his female characters here.

Thank goodness for Juno Temple, who is a ball of energy as Ginny’s step-daughter Carolina, bringing badly needed levity and comic timing to the movie.

Never awful but never hitting peak Allen heights, Wonder Wheel is a strange watch that will wow you one minute and annoy you the next.

It’s worth giving a whirl, but you won’t want to get back on again for a second ride.