Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
After 'Extreme Job,' Ryu Seung-ryong returns with musical film
Actor Ryu Seung-ryong / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment
By Kwak Yeon-soo
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Ryu Seung-ryong, the versatile actor who starred in “Masquerade” (2012), “Miracle in Cell No. 7” (2013), “Roaring Currents” (2014) and “Extreme Job” (2019) ― each of which surpassed 10 million box office tickets sold ― is returning with a musical film.
With this latest offering, the actor is aiming to continue his onscreen success and entice audiences back to cinemas.
In the upcoming “Life is Beautiful,” Ryu plays Jin-bong who reluctantly agrees to help his terminally ill wife Se-yeon (Yum Jung-ah) find her first love as her birthday wish. The couple embarks on a countryside journey. Park Se-wan plays the younger version of Se-yeon and singer-turned-actor Ong Seong-wu stars as Jung-woo, Se-yeon's first love.
Describing Jin-bong as someone who constantly complains but has a warm heart, Ryu said it was a challenge to star in a musical film because he hadn't sung in such a long time.
“If Extreme Job portrayed the meaning of love and justice in the workplace in a humorous way, Life is Beautiful depicts a couple's life story through songs. The film enables the audience to reminisce about their past and generates huge amounts of empathy,” Ryu said during a press event held for the film.
“I knew singing and dancing wouldn't be easy, but I still wanted to give it a try because the story has the power to wrap the audience up in nostalgia.”
On starring opposite Yum in the film, he thanked her for delivering her lines of dialogue from behind the camera to help him with emotional scenes.
The actors, including Ryu, practiced their vocal parts and choreography for almost a year. “I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to handle the complexities of the song because Koreans, in general, are good at singing and dancing,” he said.
A poster for the film “Life is Beautiful” / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment
Filmmaker Choi Kook-hee, who previously directed “Default” (2018), praised Ryu for his creative ability to ad-lib. His debut feature “Split,” which tells the story of a professional ten-pin bowler, won the New Flesh Award for best first feature at the Fantasia International Film Festival in 2017.
“I was surprised by Ryu's hilarious ad-libs and great acting skills. He's just an instinctive comedic actor,” Choi said.
The director hinted that the audience will be able to listen to old hits from musicians like Lee Moon-se, Lee Seung-chul and Toy who dominated the charts at different points between the 1970s and 2000s.
“I hope this film can invigorate the current lackluster movie industry. The story can resolve rifts between the generations because it moves between different points in time and space. I hope people of all ages discover the beauty of life through our film,” Ryu said.
“Life is Beautiful” will hit local theaters in December.