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| yna@yna.co.kr 2023-04-14 09:28:57
SEOUL, Apr. 14 (Yonhap) -- During an exclusive interview with South Korean star director Lee Won-seok at a cafe in Seoul on Thursday, a day before his new comedy film “Killing Romance” is scheduled to hit local theaters, the director said, “I hope our film is worth talking about and sharing what one thinks and sees.”
“I just love when people watch and tell each other, ‘Is this even a movie?’ It has been a long time since we have had such a movie to gossip about,” Lee said with a smile.
His forthcoming comedy film “Killing Romance” follows the story of a retired top actress Yeo-rae (played by Lee Ha-nee) struggling to return to the screen after getting married to an island tycoon Jonathan (Lee Sun-kyun). Director Lee, who made himself known by producing the iconic rom-com “How to Use Guys with Secret Tips,” will be melting down his unique sense of humor and sensibility on the screen with this work.
His rather cheap sense of humor, peculiar setting, and unpredictable lines are often said to be not only uncommon but atypical. In regards, the director said, “I spent so much time pondering over what this generation laughs about these days. It seemed to be different from the comedy I was aware of. I believe the so-called ‘absurd humor’ has gone to the next level.”
He particularly emphasized that this work is much more commercial than his previous “How to Use Guys with Secret Tips.”
“I believe more audiences will be able to relate to this one. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being a comfortable comedy for everyone to laugh about, I personally think ‘How to Use Guys with Secret Tips’ scored about 3 to 4, but ‘Killing Romance’ will probably get around 7. The former tells a personal story while the latter encompasses more,” Lee added.
“Jonathan is an icon of our film. We very often have our tastes get controlled by another force, which we collectively call an algorithm. However, in a way, that can also be typical gaslighting – it manipulates us out of the belief that it intends to do it for a better world. Jonathan will be a personification of this system,” the director explained.
What stands out as much as Lee’s directing in “Killing Romance” is the actors’ exquisite acting skills. Lee Ha-nee, who stars as the female lead Yeo-rae, adroitly moves back and forth between hardcore comedy and drama. In the meantime, Lee Sun-kyun perfectly suits up as Jonathan, while Gong Myung plays the role of Bum-woo, who earnestly adores the top actress Yeo-rae, showing off his adorable charm.
Director Lee recalled, “In the case of Yeo-rae, Lee Ha-nee was the only actress who I believed could play such a character who is portrayed like a princess in a fairy tale who is both naturally and somewhat daringly beautiful and perfect,” adding, “As soon as I read the scenario, Lee Ha-nee just popped up in my head, and I thought she could only take this role.”
In regard to Lee Sun-kyun, the director said, “Lee Sun-kyun is an actor whom I adored so much. I thought it would be fun if he played something completely different from his role in the television series ‘My Mister.’”
Director Lee, who is currently gearing up to shoot a brand-new television series as his next project, explained, “It will have some comical elements, but it will be very different.”
“I guess I keep making movies out of the desire to be loved by the public. It may be impossible to produce a film that can be loved by everyone, but I just keep trying. From my point of view, I believe that I produced a lovely movie that is worth being loved by everyone.”
Director Lee’s “Killing Romance” will hit local theaters on Friday.
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Ha eun Lee)
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