Director Park Chan-wook's new film "No Other Choice," his first in three years, premiered with applause at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on the 29th (local time).
"No Other Choice," based on Donald Westlake's novel "The Ax," depicts the story of a jobless father, Mansoo (played by Lee Byung-hun), attempting to re-enter the workforce. It was invited to the institutional sector competition at the Venice Film Festival, where it was unveiled for the first time.
Ten minutes before the screening, Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin were the first to appear on the red carpet. Lee Byung-hun plays the lead role of Mansoo, while Son Ye-jin portrays his wife, Miri.
Fans gathered in front of the theater cheered as the two actors appeared. This showcased the global popularity of Lee Byung-hun, heightened by projects like "Squid Game." Some fans even held up posters from "I Saw the Devil" (2010) to ask for autographs.
Following that, actors such as Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, and Yeom Hye-ran also made their way up the red carpet to interact with fans. Director Park Chan-wook also received warm applause, capturing the scene on his camera.
When the actors and director entered the theater, the audience stood up and applauded. Even after the film began, audience reactions continued with every black comedy scene.
In particular, a scene where Mansoo (Lee Byung-hun) tries to kill his rival, Beommo (Lee Sung-min), but unexpectedly receives help from his wife, Ara (Yeom Hye-ran), elicited loud laughter. Additionally, when Miri (Son Ye-jin) suggests cutting back on their Netflix subscription to save on living expenses, it brought sympathetic chuckles. On the other hand, a scene depicting Mansoo's unemployment drew sighs from the audience.
As the ending credits rolled, the audience gave a standing ovation for nine minutes. Director Park and the actors held hands to greet the crowd, and Park expressed his emotions by hugging each actor. Lee Mi-kyung, vice chairwomen of CJ, who oversaw production, also attended the event.
Director Park Chan-wook noted, "This was the first time showing it to an audience, and those who watched the film came up to say they all enjoyed it. I hope those words are sincere."
"No Other Choice" will compete for the Golden Lion award for best film at the closing ceremony held on the 6th of next month, alongside Yorgos Lanthimos's "Poor Things" and Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein."