51. Wheel Of Fortune and Fantasy (Gûzen to sôzô); movie review

 

WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY (GÛZEN TO SÔZÔ)

Cert 15

121 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong sex references

How often have we wanted the world to swallow us up because we have inadvertently said or done something inappropriate.

Or how often have we jumped to a conclusion which turns out to be completely wrong?

Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Wheel Of Fortune and Fantasy comprises of three short stories which include several 'Oh, My God' or "I wish I wasn't here' moments.

They each begin with quite ordinary situations which end up having extraordinary twists.

The first "I wish the ground would open up" situation emerges when a model (Kotone Furukawa) shares a taxi drive with her glowing friend (Hyunri) after a photoshoot.

The latter tells her that she has become smitten with a man (Ayumu Nakajima), completely unaware that he had had previously been the model's boyfriend.

The model then takes some surprising action as a result.

Wheel Of Fortune and Fantasy's allure is that it doesn't take much imagination to believe the stories are authentic.

This is true of the second story in which a student (Shouma Kai) is chucked out of college and is desperate for revenge on the professor (Kiyohiko Shibukawa) who has rejected his appeal.

Thus, he coerces his married lover (Katsuki Mori) to try blackmail by throwing herself at him.

Sure, this wouldn't be the type of actions of normal people but the complex reactions to each situation are surprisingly realistic.

And then there is the very strange misunderstanding between a woman (Fusako Urabe) who goes to a school reunion in search of a former love.

She thinks she has been successful after the event when she sees a familiar face (Aoba Kawa) at a railway station.

Their meeting is surprisingly revealing.

The three pieces are akin to short plays with the action confined to limited backdrops but there is enough in the dialogue and interactions to keep the audience, amused, shocked and entertained.

Reasons to watch: Intriguing theatre-like short stories

Reasons to avoid: No action

Laughs: A couple of chuckles

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 6.5/10

Did you know? Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize. 

The final word. Hamaguchi Ryûsuke: "Whenever I’m starting a new project, I find that it’s really daunting. I’m telling myself, “Oh, I’m going to put myself through this again? I’m going to get more grey hairs? Is this what I want to do?” But when you’re making short films, it’s much less of a burden". Slant Magazine

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