Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy

Along with Drive My Car, this triptych is one of two new films from LFF favourite Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Happy Hour, Asako I & II).

  • Director-Screenwriter

    Ryusuke Hamaguchi

  • Producer

    Satoshi Takata

  • With

    Kotone Furukawa, Ayumu Nakajima, Hyunri

  • Japan 2021. 121min

  • UK Distribution

    Modern Films

  • Language

    Japanese

    With English subtitles

This film’s BFI Player premiere is scheduled for the time listed above. You have 24 hours to start watching and 4 hours to complete the film once you’ve started. Tickets can be booked until the end time listed above (subject to availability).

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy centres on three women in seemingly disparate tales of coincidence: one who realises a friend is dating an ex and wonders if she wants him back; one who finds that a half-heartedly-set honeytrap backfires, and one involved in a case of mistaken identity. Hamaguchi has an unusual rehearsal style which sees his actors learn lines by table reading together in flat monotone until the shoot. Then in medium or long shots, often through extended speeches in enclosed spaces, the tiniest emotions take on epic scale. That happens here – to devastatingly lovely effect – in a final ‘episode’ in which two middle aged women connect after at first mistaking each other for high school classmates. Deserving winner of the Silver Bear the Berlin Film Festival.

Tricia Tuttle

Calling all film fans aged 16 to 25! Book £5 tickets in advance to see this film on BFI Player with your 25 & Under account. Sign up now.

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