Ryusuke Hamaguchi Returns: All of a Sudden Captivates Cannes
The premiere inside the Grand Théâtre Lumière over the weekend triggered the longest standing ovation of the festival so far—a spectacular, emotional seven minutes of continuous applause that left the director and his cast visibly moved. Loosely inspired by a poignant, real-life book of correspondence detailing a woman’s battle with terminal cancer, the film marks Hamaguchi’s first time shooting entirely outside his native Japan, swapping Tokyo for the understated, non-touristy streets of Paris and the quiet landscapes of Kyoto.
Clocking in at a monumental 196 minutes, the unhurried drama stands as a masterclass in quiet pacing and deep empathy. The story beautifully charts the unexpected, platonic bond forged between Marie-Lou (Virginie Efira), an overworked director of a Paris care home pushing a radical, dignity-focused care method called “Humanitude,” and Mari (Tao Okamoto), a fiercely independent Japanese theater director secretly navigating stage 4 terminal cancer.
The heart of the film rests on a mesmerizing, middle-act all-nighter. As the two women wander through Paris, fluidly transitioning between French and Japanese, they dismantle theories on late-stage capitalism, aging populations, and the precious nature of shared time—even utilizing a literal whiteboard session that critics have hailed as a thrillingly original piece of drama.
This positive critical breakthrough has instantly positioned All of a Sudden at the absolute forefront of the race for the coveted Palme d’Or, with Variety calling it “great enough to remind you what life can be.” Hamaguchi has once again proven that even in a fractured world, a deeply sincere story about human touch and mutual understanding remains the ultimate force in global cinema.
