Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi won the foreign-language film Oscar and hit ten best lists across the country with his intimate epic Drive My Car. Lost in the shadow of that legacy is another film from Hamaguchi released the same year, the smaller but equally intimate Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival.
A tryptic comprised of three original short stories, the delicate, compassionate, and sometimes bittersweet film draws from the legacies of Eric Rohmer and Korean filmmaker Hong Song-Soo, directors who spin rich films around conversations that arise from chance meetings, reunions, and tentative romances.
The first story, "Magic (or Something Less Assuring)," begins with a conversation between best friends Meiko (Kotone Furukawa) and Tsugumi (Hyunri) on an evening taxi ride before revealing a romantic triangle: Tsugumi's new boyfriend (Ayumu Nakajima) is Meiko's ex and her feelings are rekindled when she confronts him.
In "Door Wide Open," a honey-trap sprung on a respected professor and author (Kiyohiko Shibukawa) takes an unexpected turn when the attempted seduction by the student (Katsuki Mori) leads to an honest conversation and a moment of self-awareness.
"Once Again," the third and most touching segment, opens with a quasi-science fiction set-up involving a computer virus that has shut down all internet communications, creating a culture of virtual disconnection. It's merely a framework, however, for the chance meeting of two women (Fusako Urabe and Aoba Kawai) and a case of mistaken identity that leads to a brief moment of personal connection and emotional honesty.
These seemingly simple cinematic short stories are built around conversations involving hidden agendas or mistaken assumptions that push through to surprising insights or revelations. All three are grounded in the complexities of character and celebrate an optimistic view of humanity in the face of jealousy, regret, and resentment.
Even a bittersweet twist in the coda of "Door Wide Open" has a sadness built on our affection for the two protagonists undone by an ill-timed typo. It's a lovely companion piece to Drive My Car, more modest, of course, but perhaps a less daunting entry to the filmmaker's oeuvre, and a rewarding experience on its own.
The unrated film features adult situations, including an extramarital affair and an explicit description of a sexual encounter. It's in Japanese with English subtitles and includes a 15-minute interview with filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi (who acknowledges Eric Rohmer as an inspiration for the project) and a bonus short film: The Chicken (2020), about a young Japanese immigrant in New York City (in English and Japanese with subtitles).
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What kind of film collection would this title be suitable for?
This is a recommended pick for any collection of contemporary international cinema, though public libraries should make note of the mature subject matter of the second story.
What academic library shelves would this title be on?
This is a good choice for a library film collection spotlighting the work of the best international cinema and world filmmakers, and an excellent example of the art of short films.
Does this film have Public Performance Rights available?
Yes, for $200.00.