If one asks 7.6 inhabitants of this planet whether they love to watch a film with some dose of romance and its intrigues, they might all say, possibly or definitely. This may be even more pronounced during a pandemic and solitary lifestyles, many cinephiles, and a more general audience experience. Hamaguchi’s most recent feature release Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy elicits this desire by interweaving three stories that make us revisit romance and the nature of eroticism deeper. The stories Magic, Door- wide-open and Once again are set in modern Japan and localized but their themes and implications assuredly universal.
In the first episode, jealousy, deception, and friendship take the center stage to reconstruct the fleeting nature of love and belonging. The car scene which takes over ten minutes is a classic of storytelling with a minimalist camera, dialogues as powerful as lyrical classical poems, and appealing to viewers for whom the fire of romance could never be extinguished. The office scene and the climax portrays the dual nature of love and how it can instantly turn into vengeance and pure hatred. The strength of acting in this episode has as much to do with how physics and facial expressions reinforce the sense of suspense and ambiguity enacted by Kotone Furukawa, Ayumu Nakajima, and Hynri. The final cafe scene with its Kurosawa style of ending leaves us more perplexed as to how the love triangle and intrigues unfold. The magic is elegantly conjured up- sexual frustration and more.
The second episode opening scene takes the viewer to the world of academia. The early scene, in which the male protagonist begs the professor to mercy him, sets the tone for a revenge romance story that makes us believe that love and eroticism should be as much hurt as it pleases. The love triangle continues but in a different format. The seduction game, honeytrap, and the fuel that push the lovers to find peace are all embedded craftily. The still camera, two-shots, and piano music carry the ambiance and simplicity entangled with mystery. The office scene in which the erotic lines are read shows the acting unparalleled since the days of Ozo. While watching those scenes, one may wonder what counts as pornographic and what could be decently counts as erotic. Could not we masturbate with a voice, Hamaguchi leaves no room not to imagine these fine lines. The episode which culminates in the twist where a wrong email destroys a professor’s career and budding love also engages us with how eros changes with time and if love can be rekindled. The powerful kiss and business card offer on the bus says a lot on this line. Katsuki Mori, Shouma Kai, and Kiyohiko Shibukawa cast Door wide-open as strongly with the impressive use of voice, body, and expression of complex emotions.
The last episode meditates more on the nature of love and memory. A school reunion is a stage for rekindling a lost love. A virus Xeron which is reminiscent of COVID-19 has plagued Japan. The opportunity has been provided for old romances and clicks to take place. The twist of Once Again comes when we notice that Fusaka Urabe (Mika) and Aoba Kawai (Ari) mistakenly run into each other. The narration reveals a lesbian love affair that has gone dormant and lost for many years. Despite that revelation, roleplay and replaying of forgotten desires are sufficient to drive the narrative and bring a happy ending and closure. One may wonder if a genuine lesbian relationship exists and could be sustained, and wonder we can relive our most intense erotic experience once again, even with imaginary partners? Hamaguchi’s dialogues, minimalist camera, masterful use of space in creating erotic ambiance, and powerful direction and acting set make us visually absorb and respond to these questions with more comfort. Love and romance in all their permutations, in any era elevates us to the desired land of fantasy and turns our wheel of fortune. As in his other romantic-themed films- Asako I and II (2018) and Happy Hour (2015), this film shows only three episodes of this unending drama and human unending desire to uncover the magic of eros and its unfulfilled promises.
Grade: A-
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