The Cannes Film Festival hosted the world premiere of Song Joong Ki’s film Hopeless.
Apart from Song Joong Ki, other guests who attended the event Wednesday night included Hong Xa Bin, BIBI, Jung Jae Gwang, director Kim Chang Hoon, and many more, who walked the red carpet at the Salle Debussy theater.
During the stage greeting, director Kim Chang Hoon expressed his delight, saying, “I feel incredibly honored to present my very first film at the Cannes Film Festival. We poured our hearts and souls into making this film, and I truly hope you all enjoy watching it.” His words were met with enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Hong Xa Bin, Song Joong Ki, BIBI, Jung Jae Gwang, and director Kim Chang Hoon shared a heartfelt moment after the screening, embracing each other amidst the endless standing ovation.
Hong Xa Bin remarked, “Everything feels like a dream. I am grateful for the warm reception of the film and glad to have created precious memories I will never forget. I would like to express my gratitude to all the staff members and actors involved.”
Song Joong Ki expressed his satisfaction, saying, “The emotions I felt after watching the film were stronger than I expected from reading the script. That scene at the reservoir, when Yeon Gyu looks at Chi Geon’s ear from behind, confirmed my initial feelings and reassured me that I made the right choice. Thanks to everyone involved, and I hope Hopeless gets lots of love.”
BIBI shared her overwhelming experience, saying, “It was an overwhelming experience that brought tears to my eyes. The applause felt endless, time seemed to slow down, and it was an intense moment. I’m so grateful to everyone involved in Hopeless for making this possible.”
Meanwhile, media and audience reviews of the film were also released. Screen Daily described the film as “A suffocating slipknot drama, it embeds violence and extortion in a destructive ecosystem, showing that every favor is loaded, every gift poisoned, every debt unpayable.” Deadline mentioned, “Kim Chang Hoon’s feature debut is high on the brutality but lacks the depth to be something more,” and explained, “The story deals with the disturbing subject matter, but the messaging isn’t all that impactful.”
Below are some reactions from the audience who had the opportunity to see the film at the festival:
“A gripping film that relays very well how if society is working against you there is very little you can do to escape it. The movie has many layers and I think all were treated very nicely. The acting overall was great, specially the protagonist.”
“HOPELESS tells the story of a 17 year old whose abusive & complicated home life gets him mixed up with a gang of dangerous loan sharks. Quickly turns tedious as the hollow messaging, clunky writing & unconvincing performances hinder what should’ve been a compelling South Korean noir. I’d be curious to see what Kim Chang-hoon does in the future as there are some hints of stylistic promise.”
“HOPELESS: an impressive, dynamic direction (especially for a first film) with a great sense of composition, wasted on a sentimental, embarrassing script that unleashes all the usual stereotypes about its “troubled young man is tempted by a life of crime” premise #Cannes2023”
“Only the living still wondering, ‘Why?'”
“Ne réinvente pas le genre, mais ça reste efficace et spécialement pour un premier film. (It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it remains effective, especially for a debut film.)”
Source: Plus M Entertainment
