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Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy

8.320212h 01mHDSUB117,909 views

Director: 滨口龙介
Cast: 古川琴音 · 涩川清彦 · 占部房子 · 中岛步 · 玄理

Storyline

The film consists of three short stories: 'Magic (Or Anything Else That Could Possibly Happen)', 'Door Wide Open', and 'Once Again'. The multiplicity and mirroring of female characters is a theme in Hamaguchi's previous works, and it is also present in this new film. While his previous films 'Happy Hour' and 'Asako I & II' have a novelistic feel, 'Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy' can be described as a collection of short stories. The narrative rhythm reinforces this impression: three episodes, each centered on a female character, and each divided into three acts. The three short films tell stories of an unexpected love triangle, an attempted seduction, and a reunion caused by a misunderstanding. Despite being fragmented, the film maintains an organic narrative flow and even emphasizes it. Although most of the action takes place in a single space and involves only two actors, the film does not feel like a chamber drama. This is not only due to the dialogue but also to its complex concept of time and space, with the last episode almost turning into science fiction. The moments we witness are all connected to a touching universal destiny, marked by choice, regret, deception, and coincidence—these are the true protagonists of the film.