UPDATE: As expected, the reviews are atrocious. This could be the worst reviewed movie of the year. Variety, THR, Screen, The Telegraph, The Wrap, The Film Stage — all of these read like 1-star reviews.
The Telegraph calls it "easily the worst film in his career". It starts on RT with 0% with 8 reviews and an avg rating of 2.9!
Variety’s Owen Gleiberman wrote, “When I saw ‘The Palace,’ Roman Polanski’s garish debacle of an ensemble comedy, I was sitting in the Sala Darsena, which seats 1400 (and was full), and on the rare occasion when a line in the movie got laughs, it was literally coming from about six people. I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard a giant theater this deadly silent for a movie that’s working this strenuously to amuse you.
Polanski’s black comedy was given a tepid three-minutes of applause when it world premiered in the Palazzo del Cinema’s Sala Grande on Saturday night.
EARLIER: The embargo hasn’t lifted yet, but get prepared for some absolutely horrendous reviews for Polanski’s “The Palace” at Venice. Even fans of the Polish director are not liking this one. It sounds like a real stinker.
Polanski’s Italian producer Luca Barbareschi got emotional at the press conference for “The Palace.” He expressed frustration in France’s unwillingness to board the film:
“It’s been very difficult to make this film. Polanski is not easy [to finance], there is a hole – France – in the middle of this film,” since French companies refused to participate in its production. “We are hoping that the movie will be released in France, because it would be a damage for France [not to have it].”
As the press conference was ending he shouted: “Viva Polanski!”
“Hope,” Na’s first film in ten years — his last one being the exemplary “The Wailing” —is a gloriously messy, blood-soaked sci-fi epic that may become a cult classic despite—or because of—its polarizing nature.