If there is one film from Cannes 2022 that I am very much looking forward to rewatching, it’s Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave.” Park’s film was screened on a Wednesday night at Cannes. It was the ninth day of the festival, attendees were tired and there were people sleeping all around me.
“Decision to Leave” has leaked online, probably due to its VOD release in South Korea. It will screen at TIFF and NYFF in September.
The film is a purposely convoluted detective noir that probably benefits from multiple viewings. Park uses bizarre zoom ins, POV shots, and character's recreating crimes in their mind and being shown in the action (even though they weren’t part of it).
The amount of critics that I know who fell asleep or left during the Park is ridiculously high. At some point, I’d say 90% of the people around me were sleeping, and someone I know saw three artistic directors from big festivals leaving way before the ending, out of boredom they told him afterwards.
The trades got to see it in the morning that day, well-rested, whereas we second-tier peasants had to contend with the 9pm screening. I also noticed a vast difference of critical opinion between the English and non-English press. The former loved it, the latter not as much.
An 88 on Metacritic and 96% on Rotten Tomatoes is utterly baffling acclaim, Ditto the film finishing second on IndieWire’s Cannes critics poll. I’m willing to give it another shot, but, at first glance, the film was way too long and tedious.