Film twitter darling Anderson has made 4 short films based on short stories by Roald Dahl, marking his return to adapting this author for the first time since The Fantastic Mr. Fox. The headliner in the bunch is The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, the story about a man who leaned how to "see without his eyes" and saw the need for selflessness. But also included are the even more bizarre films The Rat Catcher, The Swan, and Poison.
Anderson fully leans into this Anderson aesthetic which will tickle his fans but likely put off mainstream audiences. His highly constructed, fourth wall breaking, rapid talking, overly sincere approach which leans into the artificial aspects of film making are on full display like there were in his latest feature, Asteroid City. But for me here they work a bit better. Paired with Dahl's odd natured stories, the style gels more. Also the fact that the films are short helps break up the aggressive nature of the Anderson gimmick.
Often what bothers me about Anderson films (as you can tell I'm not a fan) is that the stories leave me feeling hollow. He goes through so much artful construction that his characters and story often feel lacking for me. Dahl's stories are richer than Anderson's own and offer something more interesting for him to play with. And watching Anderson's schtick in shorter doses makes it easier to swallow as well. Like with The French Dispatch (basically a series of shorts tied together with a framing story) I didn't have to sit with any of what he was doing for that long making it easier to stomach.
It's hard to comment on the performances of each of the actors (all quite excellent at their craft) because he (as per usual) has them all doing the exact same thing, staring into the camera reading their rote narration at breakneck speed.
Yet it all somehow worked for me in ways that Anderson's films normally don't. Just like how Fox is my favourite Anderson film there is something about the mixing and matching of Anderson and Dahl that just fits. For me Sugar is the standout with its clever critique of the modern billionaire class and the counter cultural idea that someone with great power might actually use it to benefit humanity, but the others remain enjoyable mostly for just how absolutely bizarre they get as you watch them.
Yet it all somehow worked for me in ways that Anderson's films normally don't. Just like how Fox is my favourite Anderson film there is something about the mixing and matching of Anderson and Dahl that just fits. For me Sugar is the standout with its clever critique of the modern billionaire class and the counter cultural idea that someone with great power might actually use it to benefit humanity, but the others remain enjoyable mostly for just how absolutely bizarre they get as you watch them.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Richard Ayoade, Rupert Friend
Writer/Director: Wes Anderson
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