Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
2021 · Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Original language: Japanese
- drama
- romance
The story
An unexpected love triangle, a seduction trap, and a random encounter are the three episodes, told in three movements to depict three female characters and trace the trajectories between their choices and regrets.
What it’s like
Naturalistic, unhurried compositions: conversations held in cafés, bars and bedrooms, filmed in long takes with the camera settled at a respectful distance, and soft daylight or dim interior lamplight that never looks staged. Colours are muted and everyday, with the occasional warm glow of a restaurant or the grey wash of a rainy street. The sound is mostly ambient, with traffic, clinking glasses and murmured talk filling the gaps, so silence feels like part of the scene. The vibe is wry, wistful and quietly charged, with flashes of awkward comedy that keep the mood from tipping into gloom. Its three separate chapters unfold at a patient, conversational pace, each following a woman whose plans and assumptions go sideways and who is forced to look again at what she wants and what she has passed up. Sexual content is present through dialogue and intimate scenes, but it is not explicit, and there is no violence or gore; tension comes from talk, misreading and timing rather than threat. It suits a slow weekend afternoon, a late evening alone, or anyone who likes character-led films where very little happens on the surface but a great deal shifts underneath. It is for viewers who enjoy thoughtful, dialogue-driven drama with a sly sense of humour and an interest in the small, unglamorous choices that shape a life.
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