Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi premiered his new drama "All of a Sudden" in competition at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday, May 15 [3].
The film marks a significant stylistic and linguistic shift for Hamaguchi, as it is his first French-language feature [4]. By centering the narrative on the bond between two women in a Paris nursing home, the work examines human dignity and the failures of capitalism through the lens of terminal illness.
Starring Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto, the story follows two women who form a life-changing friendship while confronting mortality [1, 2]. The production is a lengthy exploration of care and compassion, with a total runtime of approximately 3.25 hours [2]. While some reports describe the film as a French-language work, other accounts note that the dialogue weaves between Japanese and French [4].
The premiere was met with a strong reception from the audience at the Palais, including a standing ovation that lasted seven minutes [3]. A reviewer for Variety said the feature is a rare type of film that is great enough to remind the viewer what life can be [1].
Hamaguchi addressed the film's expansive length following the screening. "It's always best to see a good film that's three hours long," Hamaguchi said [2].
The three-hour-plus drama moved the audience in the Palais, according to an MSN report [3]. The narrative focuses on the intersection of personal connection and systemic failure, using the intimate setting of a care facility to highlight broader societal issues regarding how the elderly and ill are treated.
“"It's always best to see a good film that's three hours long"”
Hamaguchi's transition to a French-language setting and a European cast signals an expansion of his international cinematic footprint. By tackling themes of capitalism and mortality, the film positions itself as a critique of institutionalized care, moving beyond personal drama into a broader sociological commentary.
