Presenting a Presentation Presently
Aren't stories adorable? Wes Anderson seems to be posing this question with 2023's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and three other short films also based on Roald Dahl stories (The Swan, The Ratcatcher, and Poison). Anderson takes his deliberately stiff and artificial style to new heights in this blend of prose and cinema. The films are occasionally quite charming but, on the whole, I found Anderson's mannerisms overbearing. They convey an idea of how good Dahl's stories are but never become stories themselves, either as adaptations or riffs.
We begin with Ralph Fiennes playing Dahl himself, sitting cosy in his studio, explaining his habits (including keeping a chocolate on his desk) before launching into the narration. He gives narration throughout all four films but only filling in certain blank spots. The rest of the time, the characters themselves recite prose to the camera. The characters, like the dogs in Anderson's Isle of Dogs, maintain a solemn, earnest manner when describing events. Even when Dev Petel breaks narration to speak to another character, he punctuates sentences with rapid turns to the camera to say, "He said."
There are also costume and makeup changes. It's all very adorable and across the emotional gulf it imposes we can glimpse the interesting story of a card sharp played by Benedict Cumberbatch who learns to see through cards after encountering a story about a holy man in India (Ben Kingsley). The actors are all great, particularly as they take on multiple roles, and the costumes are smashing. I really want the corduroy coat Ralph Fiennes wears as the titular character of Ratcatcher.
I guess if you think of it as a series of illustrated readings instead of short films, they work a little better. But actually reading the stories is the superior experience.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and the three other shorts are all available on Netflix.
X Sonnet #1744
Tomato reds were holy signs of fruit.
The needed food could carry ships to Hell.
For bossy shoes, the Devil's name is Boot.
So zombies came and rang the mummy bell.
As nigh the bottle dock a bug has reached
We ready bollards back a block for line.
Remember rust when rotten pastries breach.
The endless space is void but still it's mine.
Retractions cracked the foreign names to wit:
A pile knows a flattened dog can wait.
Recover mail to set the charging sit.
And then you launch your feet beyond the gate.
You're doing something, even laundry counts.
As soap and water swirl, the tension mounts.