disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY -- A Refreshing and Consistent Anthology Film

3/4/2021

0 Comments

 
Review by Sean Boelman
Picture
Anthology films don’t always work — and rarely do outside of the horror genre — but Japanese filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi seems to have cracked the code with his newest movie Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy. Restrainedly funny and unexpectedly touching despite its distance, this is a lovely little film with plenty of layers to dissect.

The secret that really makes Hamaguchi’s movie tick is that there is a thematic consistency to the three stories. Although each one deals with separate characters, they feel connected in that they are all exploring this idea of the consequences of choices, made in the moment or made long ago, and how those affect our perception of the world.

The first chapter is arguably the most conventional, exploring a love triangle that unexpectedly reveals itself. At this point, the film is still trying to find its thematic footing, but the character work in this portion is exceptional, presenting a surprisingly nuanced depiction of romance that works quite well.

Perhaps the funniest portion of the movie is the middle one, following a student trying and failing to seduce her awkward but successful professor. This one doesn’t fully explore the implications that it discusses (and probably couldn’t in approximately forty minutes), but succeeds in creating an uncomfortably funny dynamic between the two characters.
Picture
It is the final third of the film that brings it all together, and while this may be the least interesting portion of the movie, it’s also the most genuine and nuanced. Built around a case of mistaken identity, this conversation between two women is packed with honest emotion and resonates in a way that one wouldn’t expect.

Each portion of the film only features two or three main actors, so it is the chemistry between the leads that really drives the movie. The pairings of Kotone Furukawa and Ayumu Nakajima, Kiyohiko Shibukawa and Katsuki Mori, and Fusako Urabe and Aoba Kawai are all great, with Shibukawa and Urabe being particular highlights in the cast.

Hamaguchi also has a clear eye for harmony in his films. The compositions in his movie are truly exquisite, having an almost unsettling perfectness to them. And his use of orchestral arrangements in the soundtrack is wonderful, giving the film a very formal feel that complements the structured nature of the script quite well.

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy offers three stories that are shockingly consistent, avoiding the most common pratfalls of anthology movies. It’s a quietly reflective film that will surely find its fans in the art house crowd.

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy is now screening as a part of the Berlinale Industry Event, running virtually from March 1-5, 2021.

Rating: 4/5
               
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Allison Brown
    Borja Izuzquiz
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Daniel Lima
    Dan Skip Allen
    Erin M. Brady
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About