0
The official screening of 'Hope,' an official selection for the Competition section at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, was held on the night of May 17, local time, at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, the festival’s main venue in Cannes, France. Actors Jo In-sung (from far left) and Hwang Jung-min, director Na Hong-jin, Hollywood stars Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, Canadian actor Taylor Russell, and actor Jung Ho-yeon celebrate in front of the theater entrance ahead of the screening. /EPA via Yonhap News

Director Na Hong-jin’s highly anticipated film "Hope" has finally unveiled itself at Cannes. As it was revealed to be a monster movie that foregrounds genre-driven entertainment—a rarity among films invited to the Competition section of the Cannes Film Festival—the movie seems to have instantly emerged as a major talking point.

The official screening of "Hope," an official selection for the Competition section at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, was held on the night of May 17, local time, at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, the festival’s main venue in Cannes, France.

The world premiere screening and its preceding red carpet event were attended by director Na Hong-jin, main cast members Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, and Jung Ho-yeon, as well as Hollywood star couple Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander—who portray extraterrestrials in the film—and Canadian actor Taylor Russell. In addition, director Park Chan-wook, who received the Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, the highest tier of cultural merit from the French government, joined the event in his capacity as the jury president for the Competition section following his attendance at the screening of "Swarm" two days prior, reaffirming the heightened status of Korean cinema.

"Hope," which is known to have drawn a production budget of over 50 billion won, making it the largest-scale Korean film in history, reportedly delivered sheer entertainment, with almost no audience members leaving their seats despite its long running time of 2 hours and 40 minutes. Set in the small village of Hope Harbor near the Demilitarized Zone, the bloody slaughter between the aliens and the residents reportedly drew screams, gasps, and laughter from the packed audience of some 2,300 inside the theater.

Following the screening, the theater erupted into a standing ovation that lasted for about seven minutes, to which director Na responded, "Thank you from the bottom of my heart for staying in your seats and watching until the very end of this long film," drawing laughter from the crowd.

		0
Hollywood stars Michael Fassbender (left) and Alicia Vikander smile brightly on the red carpet ahead of the official screening of 'Hope,' an official selection for the Competition section at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, held at the Grand Théâtre Lumière in Cannes, France, on May 17, local time. The couple portrays extraterrestrials in the film. /AP via Yonhap News   Immediately following the screening, reactions from foreign press outlets published via social media and other channels were sharply divided. While the fast-paced action—which rivaled that of most Hollywood blockbusters—drew praise, criticism was leveled at the quality of the computer-generated imagery (CGI).   The Hollywood Reporter highly praised the film, writing, "A singular thriller unfolding in broad daylight, its camera bravura, sense of rhythm, and charismatic characters instantly captivate the audience," and added, "It makes director Na Hong-jin's previous works look like mere warm-ups. It stomps on the pedal breathlessly for 2 hours and 40 minutes." Conversely, IndieWire panned the movie, noting, "The first hour of 'Hope' is rapturous, but the immersion shatters the moment the aliens appear," further stating that the film was "ruined by a dreadful script and some of the worst special effects since 'The Mummy Returns.'"   Meanwhile, Variety offered a nuanced analysis, suggesting that "having Hollywood stars (such as Michael Fassbender) utilize CGI to portray an expressionless alien clan could be seen as a clever inversion of the traditional way Hollywood blockbusters marginalize Asian actors." The outlet added, "Despite the sub-par CGI and crude jokes, if we were to judge based on just about 70% of its running time, it stands as one of the best and most entertaining action movies we have seen."

		0
Jung Ho-yeon (left) and Hollywood actor Taylor Russell, who portray a police officer and an extraterrestrial, respectively, in "Hope"—an official selection for the Competition section at the 79th Cannes Film Festival—share a bright smile on the red carpet during the pre-screening event on the night of May 17, local time. /AP via Yonhap News

Film critic Jeon Chan-il praised the film, noting, "It can be described as a 'Na Hong-jin-esque' hybrid feature that blends almost every cinematic genre, including comedy, horror, thriller, action, disaster, sci-fi, and western." He added, "The craftsmanship, particularly the direction and the cinematography by director of photography Hong Kyung-pyo, is undeniably top-tier."

Meanwhile, "Hope" is scheduled to hit domestic theaters this July.