Na Hong-jin Hope may not be leading the race for the Palme d’Or, but the film is still being closely followed ahead of the closing ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival. The closing ceremony will take place on May 23 at 8pm local time at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France. Major awards will be announced including the Palme d’Or, the Grand Prize, the Jury Prize, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Actor.
Among Korean films, Hope it is the only work invited to the main competition this year. After its official screening on May 17, the film received mixed but strong attention from the international media. According to the forecasts of the foreign press, Hope is mentioned as a possible contender for best director or jury prize. However, his chances of winning the Palme d’Or are not considered high.
AP described Hope as a “breathless Korean sci-fi monster movie,” pointing out that it is rare for a large-scale action film involving alien beings to compete for the Palme d’Or. Yet, the outlet he underlined it Hope it’s not a normal science fiction film.
The film also performed well in Screen Daily’s critics’ rankings. Hope he received 2.8 points, tied for fourth place with James Gray Paper tiger and that of Emmanuel Marre A man of his time.
Among the current favorites for the Palme d’Or is Andrey Zvyagintsev MinotaurBy Ryusuke Hamaguchi SuddenlyJames Gray Paper tigerand that of Paweł Pawlikowski Homeland.
Still, Hope it’s not out of the conversation. US outlet Awards Radar listed Na Hong-jin as a possible best director contender in its predictions for the May 21 Cannes award. noticed that while Hope not your typical Cannes competition title, its ambition and bold action scenes like an alien invasion or monster thriller make it stand out.
The film’s cast also attracted attention at Cannes. Hwang Jung-min, Jung Ho-yeon, Jo In-sung and director Na Hong-jin participated in the photo shoot for Hope at the Palais des Festivals on May 18th. As the closing ceremony approaches, attention is now focused on the if Hope can turn its unusual presence in Cannes into an important prize. Even if the Palme d’Or is unlikely, Na Hong-jin could still end the festival with one of the biggest surprises of the evening.
Sources: Daum | News 1
