'The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar (2023)' is one of four short film adaptations of lesser-known Roald Dahl stories to be directed by Wes Anderson, who has perhaps finally achieved unabashed twee overload with what can only be described as four near-lethal injections of the purest concentrate of his trademark style, and dumped unceremoniously on Netflix. This piece tells the story of a rich man who one day finds the key to becoming even richer: an account of a man who is able to see without using his eyes and the method needed to achieve this. It's pretty much a word-for-word translation of the source material, with narration that runs constantly and bounces from character to character (who often tell us, the audience, about what they're doing while they're doing it). It's all third person, too, so even Henry Sugar refers to himself as such. This is because the whole thing is actually being read by Dahl himself, who appears intermittently to frame the story as a true account of something he himself was once told. As the tale is spoken to us, the sets deconstruct themselves around the actors in a complex dance that's quite a sight to behold. The whole thing feels like an incredibly complicated stage play, complete with prop-wielding stage hands and just off-screen costume swaps, which is definitely a unique approach to take. The pacing is so fast that the flick often leaves you breathless, primarily because every single character is talking like they're absolutely desperate to get out of there but can't leave until they've finished their part. At the same time, though, it ultimately feels a bit too long for its own good. After all, there's only so much verbal bombardment a person can take, as entertaining as that bombardment may be. Ultimately, this is a refreshingly distinct and expertly crafted short film that kind of represents too much of a good thing. It's enjoyable, but overwhelming.
