It is a 2023 American fantasy short film. Written, co-produced & directed by Wes Anderson. It is based on the 1977 short story of the same name by Roald Dahl. It is the second film adaptation of a Dahl work directed by Anderson, following the 2009 ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’.
Running time is 41 minutes.
It was originally reported to be a feature film, but Anderson clarified in June 2023 that it would be one of a collection of short stories.
It is first of a four part series of shorts adapted from Dahl’s short stories, including ‘The Swan’, ‘The Rat Catcher’ & ‘Poison’.
This film stars Benedict Cumberbatch in the titular role with Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley & Richard Ayade.
The story sees a rich man learning about a guru,who could see without using his eyes, then setting out to master the skill in order to cheat at gambling.
It premiered at the 80th Venice International Film festival on Sept. 1, 2023 followed by being released on Netflix on Sept. 27, 2023. It was set to release on Oct. 13, 2023 but was released earlier. Another interesting feature!
The film received critical acclaim for it’s craftsmanship, direction, performances & faithfulness to it’s source material.
Rotten Tomatoes gave an average of 8.3 out of 10.
It is a visual treat with the sets moving & getting on with the story. The length is it’s asset. Impactful, indeed.
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