The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

A shorter film generally warrants a longer review. As Anderson’s style continues its infantile impersonation of impressionism, his films continue to grow in dullness. Full of facile visual appeal, a pastel color grade, steady camera shots and fairytale sets dominate the movie. In this case, these techniques and a television play format coincide with the youthfulness of Roald Dahl’s spirit of an author. The shot is often framed from a viewer’s perspective, constant and unchangingly centered on the speaker at hand, mimicking Henry Sugar himself. Frequent breaks in the form of Shakesperean asides shatter the viewer’s spell, the equivalent of failing at Sugar’s task of utter concentration. I would love to praise this film in honor of my soft spot for impressionism, but neither has the exoticness of Gaugin nor the soul of Van Gogh.