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| Seo Hyun-jin in a scene from "Because I Love You" / Courtesy of NEW |
By Kim Jae-heun
Actor Cha Tae-hyun has received much love for his successes in previous comedies films, such as "Highway Star" (2007) and "Scandal Makers" (2008). In the new year, Cha will return with another comedy "Because I Love You," directed by Joo Ji-hong. The film is reminiscent of the late singer-songwriter Yoo Jae-ha as it took the title from the name of Yoo's hit song of the same name released in 1987.
"We have prepared this movie for a long time," Joo said during a press conference at Lotte Cinema in Gwangjin, eastern Seoul, Dec. 19. "When I first received the scenario, I dramatized it and directed the movie because I liked Yoo Jae-ha and I could contain his songs in the film. I wanted to direct the film in the same feel that Yoo's lyrics give us when we listen to his songs."
Hyun Kyeong, played by actress Seo Hyun-jin, is the heroine in this movie and she appears as the first love of Cha's character Lee Hyeong. She is a talented singer but suffers from stage fright.
There are several scenes where Hyun sings Yoo's hit songs, including the theme song "Because I Love You," which the director Joo revealed is not Seo's voice. Her singing is featured in the music video from the film.
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| Cha Tae-hyun, left, and Kim You-jung in a scene from "Because I Love You" / Courtesy of NEW |
Cha appears as a 30-something songwriter named Lee, who tries to help Hyun overcome her stage freight. However, he happens to get in a car accident and is rushed to the emergency room. For some reason, his spirit wakes up in someone else's body and he figures it is his mission to connect people who suffer in love before he goes back to his own body.
Cha, therefore, plays various roles as his spirit wakes up in a new body, every time his mission is completed. He first meets a pregnant high school girl, then a policeman ignorant of his family and an old lady suffering from Alzheimer's. His spirit later meets its last host in the body of his best friend Chan Young who has a crush on Hyeon.
High school student Scully, acted by a young star actress Kim You-jung, is the only character who knows the identity of Lee's spirit. She helps Lee every time he confronts hardship.
Cha said he did not go through much trouble as it was other actors who had to act like him as Cha's character spirit went into their bodies.
"I gave some advice to Yoon-hye, who played pregnant high school girl Mal-hee in the movie but also portrayed Cha's spirit in Mal-hee's body. She had to act like a man as soon as my character Lee's spirit went into her body," said Cha.
"It was a little bit strange when other actors took my ad-libbed lines in the scene and acted as if my spirit was in their body," added the actor.
Asked whose body Cha would like to go into if he was in his character's situation, Cha said he wanted to live in the bodies of Zo In-sung or Jung Woo-sung.
"Because I Love You" hits theaters nationwide Jan. 4.
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