Review: ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’ Is Radical
Wes Anderson’s new adaptation of Roald Dahl’s story is beautiful but Anderson’s style can be abrasive
Upon seeing, some months ago, that Wes Anderson was returning to the writing of Roald Dahl and adapting another of his stories, my excitement was palpable. Anderson’s previous adaptation of Dahl’s writing, Fantastic Mr. Fox (to be covered next Saturday in my current Wes Anderson retrospective!), is one of his most beloved — and one of his best — films. Seeing him return to Dahl’s work, a writer he evidently loves, was exciting.
So, on its release day earlier this week, I watched The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. The film follows the titular Henry Sugar, though that is not his real name, as he discovers that a man exists who can see without using his eyes. Sugar, inspired by this ability, sets out to train himself to do the same feat for the sake of being able to win at gambling.
The cast of Anderson’s new film is completely wonderful. In sticking with Anderson’s approach — one of intentional artificiality, which is refreshing given contemporary cinema’s determination to appear as realistic and grounded as possible at all times — Anderson’s cast is kept small and has most of its actors appearing in multiple roles. Ralph Fiennes is…
