On this page - WES ANDERSON + ROALD DAHL:
POISON | THE RAT CATCHER | THE SWAN | THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR


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Dahl (Fiennes) narrates the story of Henry (Cumberbatch), a lonely rich man who reads a journal from 1935 Calcutta in which Dr Chatterjee (Patel) recounts his meeting with Imdad (Kingsley), a man who could see without his eyes. Chatterjee and his colleague (Ayoade) put Imdad to the test and are shocked by the results. And Imdad tells his story of developing this skill with the help of a levitating yogi (also Ayoade) and years of practice. Henry's takeaway from this is to learn this skill so he can cheat at cards. But once he perfects it, he discovers that his goals have shifted.

As each character recounts their story, the scenes shift and revolve around them using a mix of movie and stage magic that tantalises the viewer with possibilities and revelations. Scenes are packed with hilarious theatre gags, and the fast-talking performances have a deadpan charm that's both charming and amusing. Each actor is expert at maintaining a straight face while hamming things up and winking knowingly at the camera.

And then there's Dahl's story itself, which encompasses global history and economics, hinging around the idea that there are other ways, besides eyes, to send an image to the brain. This mystery adds a sense of wonder to the layers of storytelling, including the idea that things would unfold very differently if this was fiction. But the true ending reveals how yoga made this rich man's heart open to the power of generosity, leading to more happiness that wealth could ever provide.

themes, language, violence

2.Oct.23

The older Peter recounts how these boys go on a shooting spree across the fields, shooting every little bird they see before they spot the birdwatcher Peter. These "dangerous, crazy, stupid boys" steal his field glasses and tie him to a rail line, where he manages to keep a cool head. And further assaults see Peter forced to climb a tree with a dead swan's wings tied to his arms. Then they order him at gunpoint to fly.

Anderson shoots this from fiendishly clever angles that allow Friend to offer tiny emotional expressions as he tells the story, almost inadvertently expressing his pain as he relives the experience with the help of the boy playing his younger self. The scenes are genuinely intense, escalating from one event to the next to build a growing feeling of impending tragedy.

Friend re-enacts this with a beautiful layering of nostalgia, fear and anger. It's a grim series of events, zeroing in on the very worst human impulses in these bullies before shifting to the righteous rage that grows within little Peter. As Dahl observes, some people will give up when they're attacked, but others will resist the pain and fear, and find a way to triumph.

themes, language, violence

2.Oct.23

It's about a man (Fiennes) hired by the reporter's friend Claud (Friend) to exterminate the rats that have infested a hayrick. But this rat man is eerily rat-like, explaining that in order to catch rats you have to understand them, because they're very clever. So he builds confidence with foods before introducing his very dangerous poison. Oddly, the rats refuse to touch it.

Fiennes goes full-in as this eccentric who understands rats a little too well, and even walks silently like one. He demonstrates his knowledge by producing a rat and a ferret from his pockets and then squaring them off against each other in a gleefully disgusting way. And another rat takes on life using stop-motion animation as it faces his next challenge.

Wonderful sets, costumes and makeup combine to bring all of this to vivid life, anchored by Ayoade's expressive storytelling. All three of these men are amusingly fascinated by the process of catching and killing vermin, rethinking their plans when circumstances shift. These are extraordinary events that are utterly natural, without a tidy ending. So if the story doesn't connect with its intended audience, the only choice is to slink away.

themes, language, violence

2.Oct.23

Woods (Patel) is telling a story set in India, as he drives to visit his English friend Harry (Cumberbatch) in his house. But Harry is lying silently in bed covered in sweat, as if he has malaria. He tells Woods to stay silent, then whispers that there's a deadly krait snake asleep on his stomach, and he has been frozen in place for hours. Woods summons a local doctor (Kingsley) who comes up with a plan involving an injection and chloroform.

Inventively designed and shot, the imagery vividly captures the idea that any shift in sound, movement or light could awaken this sleeping killer. So everyone is in a state of panic and trying to remain quiet and still. This of course adds to the speed of Patel's astonishing narration as Woods and the doctor engage in a flurry of activity to rescue Harry.

Witty camerawork from all angles adds tension and a sense of desperation, but Patel always finds a way to speak into the lens. What emerges is a wonderful depiction of people thinking laterally in a situation that's both terrifying and exciting. So when it takes a startling turn, the explosion of harsh attitudes is deeply shocking. What it reveals is just as powerfully pointed and unsettling today as Dahl originally intended it to be.

themes, language, violence

2.Oct.23