Review
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar review – Wes
Anderson and Roald Dahl are a perfect fit
Ralph Fiennes and Benedict Cumberbatch star in the
director’s lovingly detailed short film based on Dahl’s tale of a man who can
see through objects
Wendy Ide
Sun 1 Oct
2023 11.30 BST
Only the
most hardened Wes Anderson sceptic could fail to be charmed by the director’s
latest. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is his second Roald Dahl adaptation
(after Fantastic Mr Fox) and, at just 37 minutes’ running time, it’s a densely
detailed journey with an intricate Russian doll story structure. The baton is
passed from narrator to narrator, starting with Ralph Fiennes as Dahl in his
writing shed; then, among others, to Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role of
Henry Sugar, an affluent playboy and inveterate gambler who develops the
ability to see through objects. It’s a skill he hopes to use to cheat at cards,
but he discovers something rather more profound instead.
This is an
archetypal Anderson film: mannered, fussy, obsessively designed – normally
irksome traits, but in this alchemic instance it’s an utterly delightful
combination.
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