The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar

Part of a series of magnificent interpretations of the short works of Roald Dahl by the eminently well qualified Wes Anderson, and now shortlisted for an Oscar, this is a perfect example of how to adapt a tale which might easily be considered too sugary – or simply a sugar-coated take on a problematic social stance – delivering it in a way which has the bite of Dahl at his best and yet retains a real sweetness. It’s the story of a man whose discovery that he can, through the power of his will, manipulate games of chance, has an unexpected effect on the way he lives his life and thinks about other people. Dahl’s interests in luck, trickery and the mechanics of power are all on display here, but the story feels light and breezy thanks to Anderson’s own sleight of hand.

It’s hard to imagine a better director or cast for this adaptation. It’s presented as theatre, with sets layered on top of one another and quickly moved aside by stagehands. The physical architecture of the production design (for which credit goes to Anderson regular Adam Stockhausen and his substantial team) is brilliant, and the timing of each movement of sets and characters is perfectly timed, as is the delivery of lines. Every character, including the omnipresent narrator whom, it is implied, is Dahl himself, speaks in the same clipped manner, with restrained emotion, a technique which could easily have floundered in lesser hands but which works here in concert with everything else to deliver sharp, crisp comedy.

Ralph Fiennes, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley and Richard Ayoade each play two roles to bring it all to life, with Jarvis Cocker and Rebecca Cornford each turning in multiple supporting performances. As the titular Mr Sugar, Cumberbatch really shines, filling it with heart despite the dryness of the style. The theatricality of it all is up front and playful, and it’s incredibly fast-paced, packing a lot into just 37 minutes. Dahl’s dry wit is there and his dark humour lingers at the margins of the tale, though this time around, leaps of faith are rewarded.

For fans of Dahl or the director, this is unmissable. It and its companion works (The Swan, The Rat Catcher and Poison) are far superior to Anderson’s other awards contender this year (Asteroid City). It may be that the short form is simply a better fit for him, allowing him to go all out without his distinctive style becoming tiresome. At any rate, this is a delightful confection, and will be hard to beat.