Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy

"A poignant, sometimes piercing triptych of tales, each one predicated on chance encounters and romantic possibilities, it finds Hamaguchi in playful, beguiling and quietly affecting form." —Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times

"Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy is a perfect entry point into Hamaguchi’s work ... Both times I watched this movie, I found something to admire, consider, argue with and weep over." —Manohla Dargis, The New York Times Critic's Pick

An unexpected love triangle, a failed seduction, and a chance encounter with the past. Propelled by coincidence and imagination, and guided by love’s gentle current, acclaimed director Ryūsuke Hamaguchi (Happy Hour, Asako I & II, Drive My Car) returns with an enchanting triptych that spins mundane encounters into a world of infinite possibilities. In Episode 1: Magic (or Something Less Assuring), a young woman is startled when she realizes that her best friend’s new flame might just be her ex; in Episode 2: Door Wide Open, a disgruntled student plots to trick his college professor, using his friend-with-benefits as bait; and in Episode 3: Once Again, a girl’s college reunion leads to an unanticipated run-in with an old friend, and awakens feelings long since forgotten. Playfully inspired by life’s tiny miracles, and bound together by memory, regret, deception, and fate, Hamaguchi leaves no stone unturned in his quest to chart the ever-deepening mysteries of the all-too-human heart. Winner, Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 2021 Berlin Film Festival and Official Selection of the New York Film Festival.

Tickets to these screenings are $12.75 and under. Cinema members pay only $8.

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