The Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, known as Eiren, announced the choice on Wednesday. All of a Sudden premiered to critical acclaim at Cannes in May, where co-stars Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto shared the best actress prize. The film is set largely at a nursing home outside Paris, with Virginie Efira playing the role of Marie-Lou, the facility’s director. Marie-Lou is trying to bring a compassionate approach to elder care in a place that suffers from understaffing and pushback from some staff members.
The Hollywood Reporter’s chief film critic David Rooney reviewed the movie at Cannes and called it a deeply affecting humanist work, according to Yahoo News. He praised its moments of human connection and said the long runtime was worth it in the end.
As with Hamaguchi’s previous film Drive My Car, All of a Sudden could be a strong contender in multiple Academy Award categories. The campaign for the film is expected to begin in November, with plans to nominate Virginie Efira for best actress and Tao Okamoto for best supporting actress.
Hamaguchi co-wrote the screenplay with Léa Le Dimna, using a loose adaptation of When Life Suddenly Takes a Turn. That book is a collection of letters between philosopher Makiko Miyano and medical anthropologist Maho Isono.
Ryusuke Hamaguchi, who is forty-seven years old, has become one of Japan’s most internationally decorated filmmakers over the past decade. His work continues to gain attention from global audiences and award bodies alike.
IMAGE: Ryūsuke Hamaguchi presenting Asako I & II at Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Photo: hinnk / Wikimedia, taken 2018-09-12, CC BY-SA 3.0