Wheel Of Fortune And Fantasy

I have stayed away from the same director's _Drive My Car_ -- the critical darlings have been dismal in recent years -- but a contrarian NY critic really loves this one. And I agree; it is an amazing film.Even though I don't read Japanese, enough of the characters in the title are sufficiently familiar that I know it is more accurately translated to "Chance Encounters and Wishful Thinking." But "Wheel of Fortune" is catchy in the U.S. "Fantasy" is fine, really; it adds a classical music touch to a very Rohmeresque film with three vignettes. (I hope I am not overly sexist for saying that director Hamaguchi is superb in eliciting exceptional work from young and very beautiful actresses, too!) The film features Schumann's "Scenes from a Childhoood" piano score, which is certainly a perfect fit for the last story, but it puts me in an receptive mood for the capricious first story, where the "player" model capriciously manipulates her ex-lover, now on the verge of falling for her best friend. I like the second story; the innocence of the two main characters, and their careers, are undone by a regretful error. The male character (played a famous personality in Japan, supposedly) gives the female some really profound advice, as only a writer/mentor could, but the actor could have been more expressive. The third short story, which delves into older characters looking back at their younger self who might have been some of those characters we have seen earlier, is absolutely magical. I love it when characters have such imagination -- Eric Rohmer had this, Wong Kar-Wai has this; maybe I should check out Hamaguchi's earlier work after all. I rented this one and watched it twice -- should have bought the DVD!

Another masterpiece from Ryusuke Hamaguchi. This and Drive My Car being released in the same year is amazing.

It is quite amazing to see Mr. Hamaguchi do exactly as the description promised: take mundane moments, and make them worthy of the sparkle and enchantment your eyes will betray as you watch this movie.

Couldn't help laughing when the Professor was genuinely delighted by her.

a weird movie

Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi is known for LONG films. His last one – “Happy Hour” (which I have not seen) – is over five hours long. His 2021 Oscar-nominated film – “Drive My Car” – runs three hours.But during Covid he wanted to keep bust and write and directed three short films with a minimal cast and crew of 35 total. Nearly all the “action” well there is not much – is dialogue between two people. Usually it’s between two women with only an occasional male on the screen.In the 12 minute interview with the director (a nice bonus on the DVD – along with an unrelated 14-minutre short film), he explains that each of the three films here (all connected by the theme “what if?” and “chance meetings”) was completed separately and everyone wore masks except for final shooting. The “dialog” in the middle film is mostly a “monologue” with a young female student reading the graphic words in her professor’s book concentrating on oral sex, as she tries to seduce him. No, there is no nudity in any of the three films but there are spoken words that may shock some viewers. (not me).The cast is great. But you need to know the action is minimal and may not be for everyone. You WILL remember the characters after you’ve finished the two-hour total running time. And I think that’s where this DVD succeeds. I am looking forward to seeing “Drive My Car” (but not sure I’ll make it through “Happy Hour”. Life is too short and there are so many films to see.Steve Ramm“Anything Phonographic”

Three excellent short stories, or more like it Chekhov style plays, with few embellishments like soundtrack music. Just the brilliance of dialogue and chemistry. Hamaguchi apparently credits Cassavetes as an influence, and who am I to contradict, but he also reminds me a lot of Frenchman Eric Rohmer at his peak .. turning small incidents into emotional and universal themes, and in the case of these three, each with a twist at the end. To think that these come out in the same year as his subsequent Oscar nominations triumph Drive My Car. One can only admire the differences in style that this one represents vs Drive My Car. It's a masterpiece in its own right.Each of the three unconnected stories hits the spot. First, on a cab ride one woman recounts to another a romantic connection that she had made and the other gradually realizes it's her ex. Second, a cautious college professor gets trapped, anyway, due to a proofing error. Third a case of mistaken identity after a high school reunion benefits both of the women involved.The title of the movie, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy is clumsy (not sure it was the original Japanese title) but I guess it goes to some key elements of lived life ... chance, coincidence, imagination and choices. Bottom line, this is another must-have keeper from Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

Beautiful and humane. Each story depicting what can sometimes happen when fate and serendipity and the openness of people create unexpected, profound, and intimate connection.

The anthology includes three slow, methodical but mesmerizing shorts, each a different take on a shared set of themes. If you liked the director's most recent film, Drive My Car, you should give these a try.