Lee Byung-hun says he first heard of ‘No Other Choice’ 17 years ago, now leads Venice entry

VENICE, Italy — Actor Lee Byung-hun said his collaboration with director Park Chan-wook on “No Other Choice” has been nearly two decades in the making, recalling that he first heard about the project 17 years ago while filming in Hollywood. The film, which had its world premiere in competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on Aug. 29, features Lee as Man-soo, a middle-aged man laid off after 25 years at a paper mill. Struggling to protect his family and home, Man-soo devises a desperate plan to eliminate potential competitors for a new job. The role demanded Lee’s signature balance of restraint and intensity, producing what IndieWire praised as a performance that “anchors Park’s tragic yet comic tone with elegance.” Lee said his first conversation about the project dates back to around 2007, during the filming of “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.” “Director Park was in the U.S. with director Kim Jee-woon, and over dinner he mentioned the story,” Lee recalled in an interview on Lido Island the morning after the premiere. “I half-jokingly told him, ‘IWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times