Director Park Chan-wook's new work 'Can't Help It' challenges for an Oscar trophy representing Korean cinema.
The Korean Film Council announced on the 3rd that it has selected 'Can't Help It' as Korea's representative work in the international feature film institutional sector of the Academy Awards, which will be held in March next year.
The judging committee explained, "Considering all evaluation criteria, including stable cinematic quality, the timely theme of 'dismissal,' the excellent performances of good actors, and the capable North American distributor, (Can't Help It) was deemed the most competitive among the submissions."
They added, "An irony that shapes tragedy relatable to the world with humor, a work that the Academy will cheer for."
The international feature film institutional sector of the Academy targets films produced outside the United States. Only one film can be submitted per country. This year's ceremony had 'The Spring of Seoul' submitted to represent Korean films.
'Can't Help It' deals with the events that occur as a dismissed head of a household, played by Lee Byung-hun, challenges re-employment. It is based on the novel 'The Ax' by Donald Westlake.
'Can't Help It' was first premiered globally at the 82nd Venice Film Festival on the 29th of last month. The film review site Rotten Tomatoes has recorded 19 reviews, giving it a perfect score of 100.