Available for virtual screenings until January 13th.
Ryusuke Hamaguchi | Japan | 2021 | 121m | Japanese with English subtitles
with Kotone Furukawa, Ayumu Nakajima, Hyunri, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Katsuki Mori, Shouma Kai, Fusako Urabe, Aoba Kawai
An unexpected love triangle, a failed seduction, and a chance encounter with the past. Propelled by coincidence and imagination, and guided by love’s gentle current, acclaimed director Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Happy Hour, Asako I & II) returns with an enchanting triptych that spins mundane encounters into a world of infinite possibilities. In Episode 1: Magic (or Something Less Assuring), a young woman is startled when she realizes that her best friend’s new flame might just be her ex. In Episode 2: Door Wide Open, a disgruntled student plots to trick his college professor, using his friend-with-benefits as bait. And in Episode 3: Once Again, a girl’s college reunion leads to an unanticipated run-in with an old friend, and awakens feelings long since forgotten. Playfully inspired by life’s tiny miracles, and bound together by memory, regret, deception, and fate, Hamaguchi leaves no stone unturned in his quest to chart the ever-deepening mysteries of the all-too-human heart.
"The geometry of desire is elegantly plotted in 'Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy', a wistful, moving, outwardly unassuming movie. [It] is a perfect entry point into Hamaguchi’s work. [B]oth times I watched this movie, I found something to admire, consider, argue with and weep over. Critic's Pick!" -Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
"It is a stunning production, from the precision of Hamaguchi’s script and direction, the fine performances, and Yukiko Iioka’s gorgeous camerawork, to Fuminori Usui’s everyday costuming, the bright colors and natural light, and the gently lilting score. It’s an overwhelming film, amongst the best of the year, and a beautiful reminder of all the lives being lived in spite of our oddly lifeless time." -Rory O'Connor, The Film Stage
"Ingenious, playful, sparklingly acted and thoroughly entertaining portmanteau collection. Elegant and amusing, with a delicacy of touch and real imaginative warmth. The narratives saunter along lightly but fundamentally seriously, asking us to consider how the paths we take in life – the wrong turnings, the right turnings – can be governed by the merest chance. An invigorating experience." -Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize - 2021 Berlin International Film Festival
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