Chronicles a variety of stories, but the main one follows Henry Sugar, who is able to see through objects and predict the future with the help of a book he stole.Chronicles a variety of stories, but the main one follows Henry Sugar, who is able to see through objects and predict the future with the help of a book he stole.Chronicles a variety of stories, but the main one follows Henry Sugar, who is able to see through objects and predict the future with the help of a book he stole.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 1 win & 2 nominations total
- Casino Guest
- (as Christopher Long)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn a 2023 interview with Deadline, Wes Anderson spoke about how Ralph Fiennes got into the character of Roald Dahl: "In our house, we have a recording of Dahl reading Fantastic Mr. Fox. He did record himself doing quite a few of [his books]. There's also a reasonable amount of documentary stuff about Dahl. In fact, when we started filming Henry Sugar, Ralph was on set, in the little space that's a recreation of Dahl's workspace, and I could hear him talking to himself. I said, 'Tell me what you're saying.' It turned out that he'd been observing Dahl from the archival stuff I'd sent him, and he knew Dahl's little rituals. He was acting them out on his own, just in preparation. And I was like, 'Start over, start over! We'll film this!' And so, the movie begins with Ralph completely improvising. Every take was a bit different, because it's Ralph just sort of channeling Dahl getting ready to write. Ralph is so interesting and authentic."
- GoofsStarting around 22:00 as the cuts go back and forth between front angle cuts and side angle cuts; the orientation of how Roald Dahl is holding the cigarette changes.
- Quotes
Imdad Khan: Audiences loved it, but no one ever ever believed it to be genuine. Still don't. Even doctors, such as yourself, who blindfold me in the most expert fashion, refuse to believe anyone can see without his eyes. They forget there are other ways of sending an image to the brain.
Dr. Chatterjee: What other ways?
Imdad Khan: Quite honestly, I do not know.
- ConnectionsEdited into The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More (2024)
- SoundtracksCosi Fan Tutte, K. 588, Act I Scene 2: No. 10, Terlettino Soave Sia il Vento (Dorabella, Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi)
Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Arrangement by Jonathon Rathbone
Performed by The Swingles
Courtesy of Erato/Warner Classics, Warner Music UK Ltd
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing
Firstly, the film's relentless quirkiness outstrips its purpose. Dahl's story - one of greed, transformation, and a hint of dark magic - already possesses a peculiar energy. Yet, Anderson pushes it towards the absurd. Characters speak in flat, rapid-fire dialogue aimed more at delivering whimsical one-liners than conveying authentic emotion. It all feels painfully stagey, and any genuine sentiment gets buried under a thick layer of artificiality.
The casting, usually a strong point, also flounders. Ralph Fiennes as Henry Sugar delivers an uncharacteristically hollow performance. Even stalwarts like Ben Kingsley and Dev Patel seem stifled by the stylized nature of the script. Anderson's heavy-handed directorial approach leaves barely any room for an actor's own spark to shine through.
While Anderson's signature symmetrical set pieces are eye-catching, they add little to the narrative besides visual flair. Unlike in his stronger works, here the visuals distract rather than serve the story.
Ultimately, "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" is a case of style over substance. The film is technically proficient but emotionally vacant. Dahl's penchant for darkness and underlying meaning gets muted by a hyper-focus on quirky mannerisms and stylized visuals, leaving viewers perplexed instead of charmed. Unless you're an unwavering Anderson devotee, you might be better off re-reading Dahl's original tale for a far more satisfying experience.
- TheBigSick
- Feb 15, 2024
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- The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More
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- Runtime40 minutes
- Color
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- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1