Recently, many non-French directors like Verhoeven, Linklater, Farhadi, Allen, and Polanski have been making films in France, drawn by the country’s strong support for filmmaking through grants and tax breaks, which make production easier for established auteurs. Here’s another one.
Last year, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Evil Does Not Exist” was released in the U.S., and while that was happening, I reported that he had already begun working on his next film, to be shot in France, titled “All of the Sudden,” which will feature female lead duo Virginie Efira (“Benedetta”) and Tao Okamoto (“The Wolverine”).
Turns out the film will likely have a similar runtime to Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car,” which clocked in at three hours; that’s what Efira told attendees this weekend at the Marrakech Film Festival, where she added that she has to learn some Japanese for the upcoming film as well.
Set for release next year, with no doubt a Cannes premiere in mind, Efira says that Hamaguchi’s Paris-shot film has “astonishing formal choices,” and that the filmmaker “has a pretty unusual way of shooting.”
Hamaguchi co-wrote the screenplay with Léa Le Dimna. The story draws loose inspiration from “You and I – The Illness Suddenly Gets Worse,” a book by Makiko Miyano and Maho Isono that compiles a series of real-life letters exchanged between the two authors.
“All of the Sudden” will mark Hamaguchi’s first production outside of Japan and Korea. His 2021 film “Drive My Car” won acclaim at Cannes and secured a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars, which has firmly established him on the international stage.
Hamaguchi’s earlier films — the highly praised five-hour “Happy Hour” and the overlooked “Asako I & II” — helped lay the groundwork for his success. His other 2021 release, the captivating triptych “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy,” is also worth watching; some even find it equal to or better than “Drive My Car.”
In the meantime, if you haven’t seen “Evil Does Not Exist,” it is available digitally. It’s a slow-burning film that rewards patient viewers with a powerful ending. Featuring long takes, scenic nature shots, and a gentle score by Eiko Ishibashi, it gradually unfolds its themes — and the payoff is shattering.
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