Director Lee Chang-dong's new film, which stars Sul Kyung-gu, Jeon Do-yeon, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeojeong and has drawn attention, Possible Love's atmosphere is unusual.
On Sept. 6 (local time) at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, Possible Love was shown for the first time.
Possible Love is the story of a dismissed worker (Sul Kyung-gu) and his wife (Jeon Do-yeon), and a documentary director (Cho Yeojeong) and her husband (Zo In-sung), two couples who meet to make a documentary and confront different lives and hidden desires.
Possible Love, Lee Chang-dong's new film that had been anticipated since the synopsis stage, continued to receive praise after its screening. Variety reported that Lee Chang-dong and the actors received a warm welcome for the sweet romance Possible Love and were given a six-minute standing ovation.
In particular, Possible Love was entered in the competition for the top honor, the Golden Lion, the first time in 24 years since 2002's Oasis, and as praise for the work continued, local anticipation grew.
Variety conveyed the atmosphere at the scene, saying that when the end credits rolled and the theater lights came on, the actors cried heavily and wiped their tears with tissues. The actors hugged each other, clapped moved by the audience's enthusiastic cheers and burst into laughter. Above all, Sul Kyung-gu could not contain his overflowing tears.
On the film review site Rotten Tomatoes, Possible Love currently has 15 critic reviews and a freshness score of 100%. Along with praise from local media, the critics' score is high, and interest in Possible Love continues steadily.
Jeon Do-yeon's acting, which also captivated Venice, played a part. Local media praised not only Possible Love but also Jeon Do-yeon, and anticipation grew for the Venice International Film Festival best actress award for her.
Variety especially praised Jeon Do-yeon, saying she showed one of the most delicate and multilayered performances of the year. It mentioned Jeon Do-yeon's detailed portrayal of the character's inner life, noting her bright yet reserved eyes that do not fully reveal her inner thoughts.
IndieWire also raved that Jeon Do-yeon of Secret Sunshine, having first worked with director Lee Chang-dong less than 20 years ago, once again delivers a performance that might come only once in a century. The Hollywood Reporter also praised that Jeon Do-yeon, who won the Cannes best actress award for her unforgettable performance in Secret Sunshine, delivers equally deep emotion as Mi-ok in Possible Love.
AwardsWatch, the U.S. awards-focused outlet, said Jeon Do-yeon's performance stands out, highly valuing her detailed expressiveness that reveals a character's life and background through seemingly passing minor gestures.
Jeon Do-yeon, who won the Cannes best actress award in 2007 for Lee Chang-dong's Secret Sunshine and earned the moniker "queen of Cannes," is once again being watched to see whether she can gain the trophy's glory.
Major awards including the Golden Lion will be decided at the closing ceremony on Sept. 12, and Possible Love will open in some theaters on Sept. 23 and be released on Netflix on Nov. 6.
[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), Rotten Tomatoes capture
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