Lee Byung-hun Shines at Venice Film Festival with Park Chan-wook’s Dark Comedy “It Can’t Be Helped” ๐๐ฌ https://n.news.naver.com/article/001/0015595480?ntype=RANKING The red carpet lit up in Venice as fans shouted “LEE, LEE!” while Lee Byung-hun made his grand entrance. The excitement only grew inside the theater, where the world premiere of director Park Chan-wook’s latest film It Can’t Be Helped had audiences laughing, gasping, and finally rising to their feet for a 9-minute standing ovation ๐๐๐. The screening took place on August 29 (local time) at the Sala Grande theater during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. Park Chan-wook, known worldwide for masterpieces like Oldboy and The Handmaiden, returned with a fresh black comedy based on Donald Westlake’s novel The Ax. The story follows Man-su (played by Lee Byung-hun), an unemployed middle-aged man desperately searching for a new job. Things take a shocking and hilarious turn as he contemplates eliminating his competition—including Beom-mo (Lee Sung-min)—only to end up in the most unexpected alliances. His wife, Mi-ri (Son Ye-jin), meanwhile, hilariously tries to cut back on their Netflix expenses, a moment that had the entire theater laughing ๐คญ. https://n.news.naver.com/article/001/0015595480?ntype=RANKING Red Carpet Fever โค๏ธโจ Just 10 minutes before the premiere, Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin arrived at the theater, greeted by fans holding posters of Lee’s earlier hit I Saw the Devil (2010). The crowd kept chanting “LEE!” and he happily responded with autographs and selfies ๐คณ. Other stars, including Park Hae-soon, Lee Sung-min, and Yum Hye-ran, also delighted fans. Director Park Chan-wook himself grabbed a camera and filmed the electric atmosphere—yes, the legendary director was fangirling over his own premiere moment too ๐ . https://n.news.naver.com/article/001/0015595480?ntype=RANKING Audience Reactions ๐ญ๐๐ข Inside the theater, the mood was electric. Audiences laughed at the darkly comic scenes, sighed at Man-su’s struggles, and couldn’t look away from the absurd yet painfully real situations. The film managed to blend comedy with the heartbreaking reality of unemployment—an experience so relatable it transcended cultural boundaries. When the credits rolled, the standing ovation lasted 9 minutes. Park Chan-wook and the cast held hands, bowed together, and even hugged in celebration. CJ Vice Chairwoman Miky Lee, who produced Parasite and backed It Can’t Be Helped, was also present, adding more star power to the night. https://n.news.naver.com/article/001/0015595480?ntype=RANKING Global Praise ๐๐ฐ International media outlets quickly praised the film: IndieWire: called it “a brilliant, brutal, and bitterly funny satire” and highlighted Lee Byung-hun’s performance as “essential in balancing Park’s tragic tone.” The Guardian: praised it as “a shocking, yet timely satire” and even called it the best competition film at Venice so far ๐. Deadline: described it as “a film that captures Lee Byung-hun’s incredible acting” and compared it to Park Chan-wook’s darkly comic response to Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite. One Italian viewer said, “I don’t usually watch Korean films, but I was drawn by the trailer. The acting felt convincing and real—I loved it.” Park Chan-wook himself shared after the premiere: “Everyone told me the film was fun, and I really hope they mean it.” https://n.news.naver.com/article/001/0015595480?ntype=RANKING What’s Next? ๐ It Can’t Be Helped is now in the running for the Golden Lion, Venice’s top prize, competing against films by Yorgos Lanthimos (Bugonia) and Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein). We’ll find out at the closing ceremony on September 6 whether Park and Lee will bring home the gold ๐ฆโจ. So, will this be the year Park Chan-wook takes Venice by storm again? One thing’s for sure—Lee Byung-hun already won the hearts of the audience ๐. #LeeByunghun #SonYeJin #ParkChanwook #ItCantBeHelped #VeniceFilmFestival #Venice2025 #KoreanCinema #RedCarpet #CJENM #MikyLee #BlackComedy #WorldPremiere #StandingOvation #FilmFestival #KMovie #AsianCinema #DarkHumor #ParasiteVibes #VeniceCompetition #SalaGrande #MoviePremiere #IndieWire #TheGuardian #Deadline #FilmReview #GoldenLion #GlobalCinema #MustWatch #KDramaStar #CinemaLovers All rights reserved Stay14 Bespoke
