Matthew McConaughey on Cannes Reaction to 'Sea of Trees': 'Anybody Has a Right to Boo'

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Gus Van Sant‘s moody drama “The Sea of Trees” is already known at this year’s Cannes Film Festival as the competition movie that got booed, the film that joined the checkered list of films greeted with derision at the festival: “The Tree of Life,” “Brown Bunny,” “Antichrist,” “Wild at Heart” and others.

And the film’s star, Matthew McConaughey, is fine with that.

“I heard that,” said the actor when asked about the booing during a press conference on Saturday. “And I would say, real simply, anyone has as much right to boo as they do to ovate.”

For his part, Van Sant said he read one review of the film this morning: “I thought, OK, now we know where we stand.”

He shrugged. “There was a story that there was some kind of fight [at Cannes] after an ‘Elephant’ screening,” he said of the 2003 movie of his that divided audiences but won the Palme d’Or. “There were fisticuffs…over [whether the movie was] good or bad, and actual punches.

“Who knows?”

Also Read: Gus Van Sant's 'Sea of Trees' Booed at Cannes First Showing

Van Sant’s film stars McConaughey as a man who, for reasons that are explained in numerous flashbacks, ventures into a famous forest in Japan to kill himself. Before he can finish the job, he encounters a Japanese man (Ken Watanabe) who has begun to regret his own decision to commit suicide; together, the two try to make it out of the forest, and a suicide attempt turns into a fight for survival as Van Sant’s slow-paced and, many thought, shakily-plotted film unfolds.

Unusually, there was no applause as Van Sant, McConaughey and Naomi Watts entered the press room to begin the session, though most questioners took pains to point out that they really liked the movie.

Van Sant said he was attracted to the “jigsaw puzzle” aspect of the story, while McConaughey summed it up as “a supernatural trip through purgatory.” His character, he added, “Took this trip through annihilation to get to salvation. You have to face death to find life, and I found that life-affirming.”

Also Read: Cannes Report, Day 4: Amy Winehouse Doc Is Beautiful Bummer, 'Hunger Games' Duo Reteam for Western

At the same time, he added, “There were many times in the making of this movie when I thought, I don’t know what I’m doing. And then I thought, welcome to Arthur. He doesn’t have any answers, either.”

When asked what he felt about coming to Cannes, McConaughey simply grinned and said, “I’m happy to be here. I’m happy that the film got in… I like the film.

“We’re declaring now, ‘Here it is. Hope you like it.'”

See exclusive stories and pictorials from TheWrap Magazine: Cannes Edition:

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The Scene at Cannes 2015: Red Carpet Premieres and Beyond (Updating Photos)

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Event Chair Jake Gyllenhaal attends amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala
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Kendall Jenner at amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala
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David Gandy attends amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala
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Event Chair Diane Kruger attends amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala
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Paris Hilton arrives for amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala
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Eva Longoria attends amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala
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Melissa George attends amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala
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Nicole Kempel and Antonio Banderas attend amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala
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Diane Kruger and Matthias Schoenaerts attend the premiere of "The Sea of Trees."
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Rachel Weisz, Melanie Laurent, Emily Blunt and Sienna Miller attend IFP, Calvin Klein Collection & euphoria Calvin Klein celebrate Women in Film.
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Rachel Weisz attends the after party for "The Lobster."
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Matthias Schoenaerts, Diane Kruger and dj-composer Gesaffelstein attend the premiere of "The Sea of Trees."
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Ben Whishaw attends a photocall for "The Lobster."
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Miranda Kerr at the Magnum 'Pink and Black' party
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Sophie Marceau attends Premiere of "Mad Max: Fury Road"
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Jury members Ethan Coen, Sophie Marceau, Rossy de Palma, Guillermo del Toro, Rokia Traore, Xavier Dolan, Sienna Miller, Jake Gyllenhaal and Joel Coen
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Actress Natalie Portman and choreographer Benjamin Millepied.
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Jury member Sienna Miller.
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Actress Julianne Moore.
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Actress Lupita Nyong'o.
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Actress and stye icon Fan Bingbing.
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Un Certain Regard jury head Isabella Rossellini.
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Naomi Watts attends the opening ceremony and premiere of "La Tete Haut"
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French actress Frederique Bel attends the Opening Ceremony.
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