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A Rainy Day In New York ( Sky/ iTunes)

Woody Allen’s last film, Wonder Wheel, took less than $16 million at the box office, despite starring Kate Winslet and Jim Belushi. His latest, A Rainy Day In New York, has already taken more than $21.5 million, despite having no US distributor and being released – mainly online – in the middle of a global pandemic.

Contrary to some over-excited headlines, this doesn’t make it his most successful film for years. After all, it’s only seven years since the Oscar-nominated Blue Jasmine took almost $100 million. But it’s certainly not bad going for a filmmaker now in his 85th year and whose reputation continues to be dogged by long-standing and recently revived allegations of sexual abuse against his adopted daughter when she was seven.

Given that and the Harvey Weinstein scandal, Allen’s choice of subject matter for his new comedy is extraordinary, involving pretty, naive, mini-skirted college reporter Ashleigh (Elle Fanning) coming to New York to interview a famous film director, played by Liev Schreiber. And to the consternation of her louche, pretentiously intellectual boyfriend Gatsby (Timothée Chalamet, right), it’s soon clear that the director is not the only industry figure to have Ashleigh in their predatory sights.

It’s typically tangled Allen fare that has some nice lines but struggles to throw off its dated feel. Fanning is rather good, the highly mannered Chalamet less so. But it will make you want to go to New York again.