Wes Anderson's short film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar premiered in the 80th Venice International Film Festival's Out of Competition section. The section presents works by well-known authors, documentaries and films where the visually impressive aspect complements creative expression or storytelling.
If you're interested in the film, you'll be happy to know it's now available on Netflix, along with Roald Dahl's adaptations of The Swan, The Ratcatcher, and Poison. Netflix subtly released these films, so make sure you spread the word. I hope Netflix will continue to show more, as I love these types of works.
Now let us talk about what I think about the 2023 short film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
2023 | Maturity Rating:7+ | 39m | DramasFrom Wes Anderson comes an adaptation of Roald Dahl's beloved story about a rich man who sets out to master an extraordinary skill to cheat at gambling.
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel
My Thoughts
The characters in the 39-minute short film talk fast, so pay attention. I don't know if the goal is to fit in a lot in that short time, but I'm not complaining. I find the increased pace of the film intriguing and stimulating, as it presents the transcendent power of focus and what the human mind can achieve.
A lot was going on in the plot, but it was good. The film also has timeless truths to be taught. On top of that, they did a great job of delivering it thanks to the film's momentum, set designs, and overall effort. Everything was well thought out, as evidenced by the screen's beauty everywhere I looked. It reminds me of the movie's "power of focus" story since I don't want to look away from the screen.
I was hooked from the first scene. In the opening scene, we see Roald Dahl (Ralph Fiennes) seated in his charming little writing hut surrounded by pencils, smokes, coffee, chocolate, and eraser shavings. The story of wealthy 41-year-old Henry Sugar (Benedict Cumberbatch), who lives in a hedonistic bubble of affluence with other wealthy men, is then told by the author.
He was rich because he had a rich father who was now dead. He was unmarried because he was too selfish to share any of his money with a wife.
Men like Henry Sugar can be found drifting like seaweed all over the world. They're not particularly bad men, but they're not good men either.
- Roald Dahl
I listened intently as he finished the introduction and as Henry Sugar (Benedict Cumberbatch) entered to carry on. I was more attentive than ever when Dr. Chatterjee (Dev Patel) described the adventures of Imdad Khan (Ben Kingsley), a circus artist who could see without the use of his eyes. You felt involved in the journey and like the speaker talked directly to you.
If you're lucky enough to win yourself a big sum of money like that, and you want to give it away, you don't throw it out of the window. You give it somewhere it'll do some good. A hospital for instance, or an orphanage. There's hospital and orphanages all over the country got hardly enough money to buy the kids a present for Christmas.
- Policeman
To be honest, that was moving. Learning about Henry Sugar's backstory and witnessing his journey. It's fascinating how one person's thoughts may affect you for the rest of your life. Henry was wealthy, but once he realise something, he rapidly change his focus. He wasn't exceptionally horrible, but he tried to be better. And that is the wonderful story of Henry Sugar.
The film's aesthetic was fantastic, especially under Anderson's direction. It felt complete. Please watch Wes Anderson's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar on Netflix if you have the chance. I assure you that it is time well spent.
